'Anyone sensible will keep an open mind': UK's Boris Johnson on COVID-19 lab leak theory

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has commented on the Wuhan Lab Leak theory of Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak during the end of the G7 (Grup of Seven) summit. While speaking at the end of the summit, Johnson said that the "practices prevalent" in some parts of South and South-East Asia of "eating exotic animal". He further added that at the moment, it doesn't look that this particular has come from a lab. Clearly, anyone "sensible will keep an open mind". He said that the leaders agreed in G7 to have a new treaty on pandemic so that the world looks better in dealing with the diseases. 

During the summit in Cornwall on Saturday (June 12), G7 leaders were joined by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general. They discussed the origins of the Coronavirus outbreak, where the WHO chief confirmed that all hypotheses continue to be considered - including the Wuhan lab leak theory. He also affirmed that the WHO was preparing for the second phase of its investigation into the origins of COVID. However, he added that the probe would need "transparency" and the "cooperation" of China. 

G7 leaders agree to challenge China

G7 leaders from the democracies say they will work together to challenge China’s "non-market economic practices" and to call on Beijing to respect human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. US President Joe Biden had wanted to persuade fellow democratic leaders to present a more unified front to compete economically with Beijing and strongly call out China's "nonmarket policies and human rights abuses". In the group's communique published Sunday, the group said: "With regard to China, and competition in the global economy, we will continue to consult on collective approaches to challenging non-market policies and practices which undermine the fair and transparent operation of the global economy."

China afraid of G7 strength?

China reacted to the issues covered by G7 (Group of Seven) leaders at the summit that is being held in the UK, saying that the days when "global decisions" were dictated by a "small group of countries are long gone". During their meet in Cornwall, leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States addressed a range of global issues, including forced labour practices targeting China's Uyghur Muslims. Now, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London issued a statement saying that world affairs should be handled through "consultation by all countries". The spokesman also mentioned the "so-called rules formulated by a small number of countries" and added that the valid global system was the "international order based on the principles" of the United Nations. 

IMAGE: AP