UK envoy in Washington backs probe into origins of pandemic, WHO reforms

Britain's ambassador to the United States on Wednesday backed calls for an investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus and the response of the World Health Organization, but said the first priority should be containing the outbreak. The comments came after Britain's foreign affairs parliamentary committee asked the government whether it plans to use international bodies to hold China to account over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cross-party body asked for the government's strategy in dealing with China, taking into account Beijing's role in giving early information on the pandemic, its role within medical and industrial supply chains and the reliance of the UK and its partners on the country.

The committee asked if the government planned to make representations at international gatherings such as the World Health Organization, Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies or Group of 20 (G20) major economies to "hold China accountable for its attempts to mislead the international community in order to control the narrative around COVID-19."

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