China pressured WHO to downplay risk of coronavirus: CIA

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is seen in January. Multiple intelligence reports have called into question his administration’s transparency during the early stages of the outbreak (DM)  Â

US, (Daily Mail), 13 May 2020 – The CIA believes that China pressured the World Health Organization into delaying public warnings about coronavirus early in the outbreak, according to a new report.  Â

A CIA report says China threatened to stop cooperating with the WHO’s coronavirus investigation if the organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency, according to Newsweek.  Â

The alleged delay came at a crucial time in January, as the virus was spreading around the world undetected and China was stockpiling medical equipment and protective gear made in the U.S. and elsewhere.  Â

The contents of the the CIA document, called ‘U.N.-China: WHO Mindful But Not Beholden to China,’ were confirmed to Newsweek by two U.S. intelligence officials.  Â

It is the second Western intelligence report to indicate that China strong-armed the WHO into downplaying the risks of the epidemic, after a German intelligence document reported by Der Spiegel suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally pressured WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.  Â

The German newspaper cited intelligence from the country’s Federal Intelligence Service, known as the ‘Bundesnachrichtendienst’ (BND). Â