Beijing asserted on Tuesday that it had shared COVID-19 data "without holding anything back," following the World Health Organization's (WHO) call for greater access and information to investigate the origins of the disease.

Covid-19, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2020, caused millions of deaths worldwide, disrupted economies, and strained healthcare systems.

The WHO issued a statement on Monday describing the need for China to provide additional data as a "moral and scientific imperative."

In response, China defended its record, underscoring it had made the "largest contribution to global origin tracing research."

"Five years ago... China immediately shared epidemic information and viral gene sequence with the WHO and the international community," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.

Related News

US leaves power vacuum in UN, China jumps in to fill it

Over 40, including children, killed in Sudan hospital attack: WHO

"Without holding anything back, we shared our prevention, control and treatment experience," Mao added during a regular press briefing.

However, throughout the pandemic, the WHO repeatedly criticized Chinese authorities for allegedly insufficient transparency and cooperation.

A WHO-led team, accompanied by Chinese experts, conducted an investigation into the origins of the pandemic in early 2021. Their joint report supported the theory that the virus was transmitted from bats to humans via an intermediary animal, possibly at a market. Since then, no additional WHO-led teams have returned to China.

On Tuesday, Mao suggested that "more and more clues" indicate COVID-19's origins have "a global scope."

She also emphasized China's willingness "to continue working with various parties to promote global scientific origin tracing, and to make active efforts to prevent potential infectious diseases in the future."

Read more: COVID-19 rising globally due to 'alarming decline' in vaccines: WHO