China has joined a draft resolution submitted at the general assembly of the World Health Organization by the European Union and Japan over the novel coronavirus outbreak, the government said Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of the U.N. agency's leading role.

The draft resolution calls on the WHO to carry out a fair, independent and comprehensive verification regarding the pandemic.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said it is "not at all the same" as one mapped out by Australia calling for an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus, first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

China has "clearly confirmed and supported the WHO's key leadership role," Zhao told reporters. "Verification work should be initiated by the WHO and it should be objective and fair. This is consistent with China's position."

In his speech via video at the opening session of the two-day World Health Assembly, which kicked off Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the WHO "has made a major contribution in leading and advancing the global response" to the virus outbreak.

In comments to reporters in Washington Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused the WHO of being "China-centric" and threatened to permanently freeze U.S. funding of it and reconsider membership unless the organization commits to major reforms within the next 30 days.

Last month he temporarily froze funding to the WHO.

Pointing out that the virus is still spreading in the United States and in many parts of the world, Zhao said the top priority is to "unite and work together to save people's lives and restore the economy."

"The arbitrary action by the United States to reduce capital to the international organization is unilateralist and violates its international obligations," he added.

The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the Geneva-based WHO, took place via teleconference for the first time ever amid the pandemic of the virus that causes the respiratory disease COVID-19.

Globally, more than 4.8 million cases of infection with the new virus have been confirmed, with the number of deaths exceeding 310,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.


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