Australia's call for an international investigation into the origins of the new coronavirus pandemic is "reasonable" and does not target any specific country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday.
Relations between Australia and China have strained in recent weeks after the Australian leader said he was in favor of opening an investigation into the current health crisis. He discussed this possibility last week with the French and American presidents as well as with the German chancellor. Scott Morrison stressed that the Australian position was not intended to criticize China in any way, and that he would continue to advocate the opening of an international investigation even if this risked displeasing Australia's main trading partner.
Read also: Coronavirus: the great Chinese lie
The new coronavirus appeared in mainland China late last year. The director of a laboratory in Wuhan accused by some of being behind the new virus rejected the accusations and said that the emergence of the pandemic was still mysterious.
Speaking to journalists in Canberra, the Australian Prime Minister assured that his country's approach was "not targeted" . "It is a virus that has taken more than 200,000 lives worldwide. It shut down the world economy. Its ramifications and impacts are extraordinary. It now seems perfectly reasonable that the world wants an independent review , ” added Morrison.
