US "Concerns over COVID-19 Spread in China... Need for Communication"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] As the number of COVID-19 cases surges in China following the lifting of lockdowns, raising concerns that new variant viruses could spread worldwide, the top U.S. diplomat conveyed these concerns to China.

On the 22nd (local time), according to the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Tony Blinken discussed with Wang Yi, member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, the need to keep communication channels open and responsibly manage U.S.-China relations.

Both sides discussed the current COVID-19 situation, and Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of transparency for the international community. The transparency Blinken referred to appears to be a veiled criticism of China’s failure to transparently disclose COVID-19 related data to the World Health Organization (WHO) following the easing of quarantine measures.

Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State.
Photo by AFP Yonhap News

After China lifted its COVID-19 lockdowns earlier this month and shifted to a "With COVID" policy, new variants have rapidly spread, but China has concealed related statistics such as COVID-19 death counts, increasing international concern. Currently, 12 types of newly identified Omicron variants have been confirmed within China, yet the official death toll announced by authorities nationwide over the past two weeks is only seven.

According to documents obtained by Taiwan’s Central News Agency from a meeting of China’s National Health Commission, from the 1st to the 20th of this month, 248 million people in China were infected, accounting for 17.56% of the entire Chinese population.

Airfinity, a UK-based intelligence analysis firm that has been tracking China’s situation since early 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, estimates that currently 1 million people are infected daily in China with 5,000 deaths per day, and that by January next year, infections could rise to 3.7 million per day.

Earlier, at a press conference held at the State Department, Secretary Blinken expressed hope that China would control COVID-19, citing concerns that "if the virus spreads or moves, new variants could emerge, and those variants could spread further, impacting our country and other nations around the world."

He also explained that if China’s economy stops due to COVID-19, it would have a significant impact on the global economy, emphasizing that this is not just China’s problem. Secretary Blinken stressed, "It is very important for all countries, including China, to vaccinate their populations, provide access to testing and treatment, and especially share information about their situations with the world." He added, "We are ready to continue providing COVID-19 medical support to people around the world, including China. China has not yet requested assistance, but we are prepared to support anyone who asks."

Secretary Blinken also stated at the press conference that the U.S. will continue to responsibly manage U.S.-China relations and that when he visits China early next year, the two leaders will further advance the candid and productive dialogue they had at the Bali summit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.