China has always been open about its COVID-19 response: Spokesman

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday that China has always been open and transparent about its COVID-19 response, urging countries to take science-based and appropriate anti-pandemic measures to facilitate normal people-to-people exchanges.

Speaking at a regular news conference, Wang said that China, since the outbreak of the pandemic, has been sharing relevant information and data with the international community including the World Health Organization (WHO) in an open and transparent way and making important contributions to the development of related vaccines and drugs in various countries.

Relevant authorities have shared the genetic data of virus of recent COVID-19 infection cases in China through the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data, Wang said.

Wang's remarks came after the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Thursday said that restrictions imposed by certain countries on travelers from China are "understandable" given the lack of information from the nation.

He said that China will continue to closely monitor the mutation of the virus, and will release pandemic information in accordance with the law and in an open, timely, transparent manner to jointly tackle challenges posed by the pandemic with the international community.

Wang also made it clear that anti-pandemic measures should not affect normal personnel exchanges and cooperation, adding that authoritative medical experts from many countries have said that there is no need to impose entry restrictions on passengers from China.

Also at Friday's news conference, Wang urged Japan to view China's pandemic situation and its adjustment of Covid prevention and control policies in an objective and correct manner.

"It is hoped that Japan can take science-based and appropriate anti-pandemic measures to effectively guarantee the normal personnel exchanges between the two countries," Wang said.

Japan started requiring COVID-19 tests for all passengers from China and limited requests from airlines to increase flights to China.

As China is adjusting its prevention and control measures steadily and orderly, the overall pandemic situation is "predictable and under control", Wang added.