Pompeo Urges China for ’Full Transparency’ Regarding Coronavirus

By Staff, Agencies

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged China on Wednesday for "full transparency" regarding their handling of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak during a phone call with Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.

In the call, Pompeo emphasized to his counterpart the significance of sharing accurate data, "I stressed the importance of full transparency and information sharing in this fight," he wrote on Twitter.

"We'll continue to work together to defeat this pandemic and restore global health and prosperity."

The move follows a decision by US President Donald Trump to suspend funding to the World Health Organization [WHO], accusing the Geneva-based body of being biased in favor of China.

Yang reportedly told Pompeo it was crucial for Washington and Beijing to properly manage their relations during the outbreak, and that he hoped both sides could reach a compromise and improve relations, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported as cited by Reuters.