Reporter to State Dept. Spox: Are You Doing Anything About Covid Origins Other Than Asking China To Be More Transparent?

HOUSMAN Ambassador Burns said ░░░░░░░░ morning the ambassador to ░░░░░░░░ that China is going ░░░░░░░░ have to be more ░░░░░░░░ about what happened three ░░░░░░░░ ago in Wuhan for ░░░░░░░░ to continue working together ░░░░░░░░ Do you have any ░░░░░░░░ on that anything to ░░░░░░░░ to that Is there ░░░░░░░░ specifically you re doing ░░░░░░░░ than just continuing to ░░░░░░░░ China to be more ░░░░░░░░ Because obviously they re ░░░░░░░░ doing that PRICE It ░░░░░░░░ essentially what I what ░░░░░░░░ just said Dylan We ░░░░░░░░ in the importance of ░░░░░░░░ all we can to ░░░░░░░░ the origins of the ░░░░░░░░ 19 pandemic both in ░░░░░░░░ context of the pandemic ░░░░░░░░ re still emerging from ░░░░░░░░ also to better prepare ░░░░░░░░ for any future pandemics ░░░░░░░░ are to come We ░░░░░░░░ doing a couple things ░░░░░░░░ are and the President ░░░░░░░░ tasked the intelligence community ░░░░░░░░ to prepare assessments now ░░░░░░░░ rounds of assessments on ░░░░░░░░ origins of Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ so that is an ░░░░░░░░ that is in house ░░░░░░░░ it were the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ and all of its ░░░░░░░░ departments and agencies are ░░░░░░░░ the information that s ░░░░░░░░ to them to put ░░░░░░░░ assessments about the most ░░░░░░░░ origins of this When ░░░░░░░░ comes to those assessments ░░░░░░░░ been some agencies within ░░░░░░░░ intelligence community that have ░░░░░░░░ down on one side ░░░░░░░░ have come down on ░░░░░░░░ and others have reported ░░░░░░░░ there s insufficient evidence ░░░░░░░░ come to any firm ░░░░░░░░ at the moment But ░░░░░░░░ with any intelligence assessment ░░░░░░░░ are always incorporating new ░░░░░░░░ new facts new details ░░░░░░░░ every source of information ░░░░░░░░ to the U S ░░░░░░░░ Some of that is ░░░░░░░░ source information available to ░░░░░░░░ Some of that is ░░░░░░░░ that is available only ░░░░░░░░ the U S government ░░░░░░░░ we ll continue to ░░░░░░░░ that The other part ░░░░░░░░ this is continuing to ░░░░░░░░ upon the PRC the ░░░░░░░░ of transparency and this ░░░░░░░░ an issue that we ░░░░░░░░ been clear and candid ░░░░░░░░ the PRC on from ░░░░░░░░ earliest engagements at senior ░░░░░░░░ with the PRC The ░░░░░░░░ has raised this the ░░░░░░░░ has raised this The ░░░░░░░░ Security Adviser has raised ░░░░░░░░ It s been raised ░░░░░░░░ and consistently at various ░░░░░░░░ because it is that ░░░░░░░░ to us Now there ░░░░░░░░ other multilateral institutions like ░░░░░░░░ WHO that also have ░░░░░░░░ role in this Unfortunately ░░░░░░░░ PRC has been blocking ░░░░░░░░ the very beginning the ░░░░░░░░ of international investigators and ░░░░░░░░ of the global health ░░░░░░░░ from accessing the information ░░░░░░░░ they would need to ░░░░░░░░ their own conclusions to ░░░░░░░░ to their own judgments ░░░░░░░░ we will keep pursuing ░░░░░░░░ of these avenues knowing ░░░░░░░░ yes it s important ░░░░░░░░ the context of Covid ░░░░░░░░ and the importance of ░░░░░░░░ the context of this ░░░░░░░░ pandemic but it s ░░░░░░░░ important in the context ░░░░░░░░ preventing and being able ░░░░░░░░ respond to a future ░░░░░░░░ should one emerge HOUSMAN ░░░░░░░░ to be a little ░░░░░░░░ specific he said they ░░░░░░░░ going to have to ░░░░░░░░ more honest So is ░░░░░░░░ going to be any ░░░░░░░░ at any point for ░░░░░░░░ not being honest because ░░░░░░░░ said you ve been ░░░░░░░░ this issue and you ░░░░░░░░ been raising the issue ░░░░░░░░ there s just been ░░░░░░░░ movement whatsoever from them ░░░░░░░░ how much you re ░░░░░░░░ it PRICE Well across ░░░░░░░░ board Dylan regardless of ░░░░░░░░ the issue is we ░░░░░░░░ don t get ahead ░░░░░░░░ policy responses before they ░░░░░░░░ announced publicly But we ░░░░░░░░ going to do what ░░░░░░░░ most effective what s ░░░░░░░░ effective to protect the ░░░░░░░░ people to protect people ░░░░░░░░ the world from the ░░░░░░░░ of future pandemics In ░░░░░░░░ first instance we believe ░░░░░░░░ cooperation is the most ░░░░░░░░ element It s why ░░░░░░░░ Department has invested so ░░░░░░░░ in something we call ░░░░░░░░ Global Action Plan bringing ░░░░░░░░ dozens of countries from ░░░░░░░░ the world to respond ░░░░░░░░ the current pandemic but ░░░░░░░░ to build up the ░░░░░░░░ that will allow the ░░░░░░░░ community to respond much ░░░░░░░░ effectively should God forbid ░░░░░░░░ pandemic emerge There are ░░░░░░░░ and steps that we ░░░░░░░░ taking with the World ░░░░░░░░ Organization There are conversations ░░░░░░░░ steps that we re ░░░░░░░░ with the United Nations ░░░░░░░░ broadly And yes there ░░░░░░░░ conversations that we re ░░░░░░░░ with the PRC chiefly ░░░░░░░░ transnational threats like the ░░░░░░░░ of pandemic whether it ░░░░░░░░ Covid 19 or anything ░░░░░░░░ doesn t adhere to ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t respect ░░░░░░░░ borders or lines on ░░░░░░░░ map So it s ░░░░░░░░ for our own sake ░░░░░░░░ s important for the ░░░░░░░░ of people around the ░░░░░░░░ it s important for ░░░░░░░░ sake of the Chinese ░░░░░░░░ that we are doing ░░░░░░░░ we can through every ░░░░░░░░ forum that is available ░░░░░░░░ us to take steps ░░░░░░░░ not only to put ░░░░░░░░ end to this pandemic ░░░░░░░░ to better prepare ourselves ░░░░░░░░ another one emerge.”