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China Won’t Allow Investigators in Until the World Secures ‘Final Victory’ Against Coronavirus

The WHO and other international experts are desperate to join Beijing’s investigations into how the pandemic began, but they’re going to have to wait.

Last week, the World Health Organization said it was waiting for an invite from China to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus—but it looks like it will be waiting for a long, long time. Beijing’s United Nations ambassador in Geneva reportedly said Wednesday that international experts will not be allowed in to probe the beginning of the pandemic until the world secures an unspecified “final victory” against the virus. Chen Xu told reporters: “The top priority, for the time being, is to focus on the fight against the pandemic until we win the final victory... For whether or how the invitation will take place, we need to have the right priority setting at this moment.” WHO officials previously said it was “extremely important” that its scientists learn everything they possibly can about the origins of virus and how it transferred from animals to humans.