US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed on Thursday the need for all countries, including China, to share information about their experiences with Covid-19, at a time when some experts have begun to question the numbers. hospitalization officers and victims from Beijing.
Speaking at a news conference at the State Department, Blinken said Washington was ready to help all countries with covid, but said Beijing has not asked the United States for help.
“It is also very important that all countries, including China, focus on getting people vaccinated, testing and treatment available, and most importantly sharing information with the world about what they are experiencing.” Blinken said.
“Again, because it has implications not just for China, but for the whole world. So we would like to see that happen.”
He declined to say what specific help, if any, Washington recently offered Beijing, but said the United States stood ready to continue supporting people around the world, including China.
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“China has not asked for such help to date,” he added.
After widespread protests against strict mitigation measures, China this month began dismantling its “covid zero” regime, which had come at great financial and psychological cost to its 1.4 billion people.
On Wednesday, China reported no new deaths from Covid
for the second day in a row, even as funeral home workers say demand for their services has risen sharply over the past week. Authorities, who have lowered the criteria for Covid deaths, drawing criticism from many disease experts, confirmed 389,306 cases with symptoms.
The World Health Organization has not received data from China on new Covid-19 hospitalizations since Beijing lifted its zero-COVID policy, adding to speculation about the transparency of its numbers.
