A relative of a coronavirus victim in China is demanding to meet a visiting World Health Organization team, saying it should speak to affected families who say their voices are being stifled by the Chinese government.
China approved the visit by researchers under the auspices of the UN agency only after months of negotiations. It has not indicated whether the experts will be allowed to gather evidence or talk to families, saying only that the team can exchange views with Chinese scientists. “I hope the WHO experts don’t become a tool to spread lies,” said Zhang Hai, whose father died of Covid-19 in February 2020, after travelling to the Chinese city of Wuhan and getting infected. “We’ve been searching for the truth relentlessly. This was a criminal act and I don’t want the WHO to be coming to China to cover up these crimes.”
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
