MONTREAL -- The Chinese Consulate-General in Montreal says China should not be held responsible for the coronavirus and its spread.
Chen Xueming responded to the many accusations that have targeted his country in the pandemic crisis that is shaking the entire planet.
“China was the first country to notify the World Health Organization of the appearance of the epidemic. It is normal that some aim to stigmatize China,” he said Saturday. “When we are at an impasse, it sometimes happens that some want to divert attention and find a scapegoat. Some of them don't know the truth, that's normal, but there are also people who do this with bad intentions… To weaponize the epidemic to stigmatize is not in accordance with morals and is inhuman.”
Chen, however, did not specify to whom and to which country he was referring.
According to Chen, it is not because China was the first country to declare the appearance of the coronavirus that it is at the origin of the pandemic. Rather, he urged to let the scientists do their work so that they can learn more about the virus and fight it.
“Whatever the possibility of finding the origin, or whatever the origin, it is not (an approach) to assign responsibility for it to someone... Experts from China, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, etc. are currently studying it. Why not wait for their response? We have to focus our efforts to save lives,” said Chen.
Several states have recently criticized the Chinese government for hiding information on the spread of the coronavirus, including France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Consulate-General believes that it is “inevitable to have imperfections in terms of figures and management” and that it is always possible to find “something to improve and more precisely define figures after the shock.”
However, Chen wished to remind people of the chronology. In December, a case of pneumonia of unknown origin was detected for the first time in Wuhan. On December 27, this pneumonia was diagnosed in three cases. On January 3, China notified the WHO and the spread continued.
“According to this report, China has always been open, transparent and responsible in all its efforts,” argued Chen. “But nothing is perfect.”
Finally, he recognized that economic exchanges between Canada and China will be severely affected until significant progress is made in the fight against COVID-19.
“You can see a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel,” concluded the representative of the People's Republic. “China has resumed 89 per cent of its economic activities.”
He even called on Quebec and Canadian companies to participate in the next big Guangzhou Trade Fair from June 15 to 24, but by doing so virtually, online.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2020.
