China's foreign ministry said on Monday it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people globally.

China's foreign ministry said on Monday it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people globally. Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over. The ministry said in a separate statement that President Xi Jinping will give a video speech for the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly later on Monday. The Chinese reaction comes as 62 countries including India have moved a draft resolution demanding evaluation of the World Health Organisation (WHO)`s response towards the novel coronavirus pandemic. The European Union-led draft resolution on global COVID-19 response is set to be tabled at the upcoming World Health Assembly on Monday. The draft resolution demands initiation "at the earliest appropriate moment to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19".

China says premature to begin virus origin probe immediately

Australia has asked China to give a response to their repeated requests to ease tensions between the two trading nations. Tensions between China and Australia spiked after Canberra called for an international enquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus.&nbsp;

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After Australia attempted to call for an investigation, China suspended beef imports from four of Australia's largest meat processors and is considering imposing hefty tariffs on imports of barley.&nbsp;

The Chinese ambassador, Cheng Jingye, asked the citizens of his country to boycott Australian beef, wine and universities. He even asked them to stop visiting Australia.

According to Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, he has made requests to discuss with Beijing. He informed about this on Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) on Sunday.

"That request has not been met with a call being accommodated at this stage," he said on the ABC's 'Insiders' programme. "We are open to have that discussion, even where there are difficult issues to be discussed."

Even the Chinese state media has jumped in. Hu Xijin, the editor of Global Times wrote this on Weibo: "Australia is always there, making trouble. It is a bit like chewing gum stuck on the sole of china's shoes.

Beijing wants to do everything it can, to undermine Australia's demand for an international investigation. China says the demands for an investigation are destined to fail, but Australia is quietly working behind the scenes to build international support to make China pay.

Australia has asked China to give a response to their repeated requests to ease tensions between the two trading nations. Tensions between China and Australia spiked after Canberra called for an international enquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus.

Australia has asked China to give a response to their repeated requests to ease tensions between the two trading nations. Tensions between China and Australia spiked after Canberra called for an international enquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus. Also read: Lebanon to restart economic re-opening from Monday after coronavirus lockdown After Australia attempted to call for an investigation, China suspended beef imports from four of Australia's largest meat processors and is considering imposing hefty tariffs on imports of barley. The Chinese ambassador, Cheng Jingye, asked the citizens of his country to boycott Australian beef, wine and universities. He even asked them to stop visiting Australia. According to Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, he has made requests to discuss with Beijing. He informed about this on Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) on Sunday. "That request has not been met with a call being accommodated at this stage," he said on the ABC's 'Insiders' programme. "We are open to have that discussion, even where there are difficult issues to be discussed." Even the Chinese state media has jumped in. Hu Xijin, the editor of Global Times wrote this on Weibo: "Australia is always there, making trouble. It is a bit like chewing gum stuck on the sole of china's shoes. Beijing wants to do everything it can, to undermine Australia's demand for an international investigation. China says the demands for an investigation are destined to fail, but Australia is quietly working behind the scenes to build international support to make China pay.

Australia urges China to respond to its requests to ease trade tensions

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien passed scathing remarks on China. He said that China has been the reason behind five plagues in the past 20 years and it has to stop now. He holds China responsible for coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 250,000 people globally.&nbsp;

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During the press meet at the White House, O'Brien told the&nbsp;reporters that people will rise globally to ask the Chinese government that they can no longer have these plagues coming out of China, whether it be lab or wet markets.&nbsp;

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"We know it came from Wuhan and I think there's circumstantial evidence that it could have come from the lab or the wet market. But, again, if you're China, neither one's a good answer," O'Brien said.

"We've had five plagues from China in the last 20 years. We've had SARS, avian flu, swine flu, COVID-19 now and how long can the world put up with this terrible public health situation that you've got in the People's Republic of China that is being unleashed on the world," US National Security Advisor said.&nbsp;

He even urged the Chinese government to allow health officials from the US to help them, but they refused. He said: "I mean, this is -- at some point, it's got to stop. We offered to send in health professionals to help the Chinese. They rejected that."

O'Brien was asked about the investigation related to the origin of the virus, he denied giving any timeframe on it.&nbsp;

He said: "I can't give you a timeframe on that. That's something that we're continuing to review and it is obviously a very serious concern.

"Look, China's got to figure out how to deal with its public health because we cannot have another one of these virus outbreaks and plagues come from China. This was a terrible thing that happened to the entire world, not just to the United States," he added.&nbsp;

The United States has been the worst-hit nation in terms of coronavirus, with over 80,000 deaths and over 1.3 million cases.&nbsp;

"The world economy shut down, and this isn't the first time it's happened. This is the fifth time it's happened in 20 years, and it's got to stop. China needs help.

"They need help from the rest of the world. And we're prepared to help China deal with the public health crises so we don't face this issue again," O'Brien added.

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien passed scathing remarks on China. He said that China has been the reason behind five plagues in the past 20 years and it has to stop now.

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien passed scathing remarks on China. He said that China has been the reason behind five plagues in the past 20 years and it has to stop now. He holds China responsible for coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 250,000 people globally. Also read: Donald Trump's approval rating dips, currently trails behind Biden: Polls During the press meet at the White House, O'Brien told the reporters that people will rise globally to ask the Chinese government that they can no longer have these plagues coming out of China, whether it be lab or wet markets. Also read: Coronavirus vaccine might take some time: Top health expert Anthony Fauci "We know it came from Wuhan and I think there's circumstantial evidence that it could have come from the lab or the wet market. But, again, if you're China, neither one's a good answer," O'Brien said. "We've had five plagues from China in the last 20 years. We've had SARS, avian flu, swine flu, COVID-19 now and how long can the world put up with this terrible public health situation that you've got in the People's Republic of China that is being unleashed on the world," US National Security Advisor said. He even urged the Chinese government to allow health officials from the US to help them, but they refused. He said: "I mean, this is -- at some point, it's got to stop. We offered to send in health professionals to help the Chinese. They rejected that." O'Brien was asked about the investigation related to the origin of the virus, he denied giving any timeframe on it. He said: "I can't give you a timeframe on that. That's something that we're continuing to review and it is obviously a very serious concern. "Look, China's got to figure out how to deal with its public health because we cannot have another one of these virus outbreaks and plagues come from China. This was a terrible thing that happened to the entire world, not just to the United States," he added. The United States has been the worst-hit nation in terms of coronavirus, with over 80,000 deaths and over 1.3 million cases. "The world economy shut down, and this isn't the first time it's happened. This is the fifth time it's happened in 20 years, and it's got to stop. China needs help. "They need help from the rest of the world. And we're prepared to help China deal with the public health crises so we don't face this issue again," O'Brien added.

China has been the reason behind five plagues in past 20 years and they should stop it: US NSA

Chinese agents are amplifying fake news in America and causing panic. Last month, posts like these went viral in the United States.&nbsp;

The coronavirus was quickly spreading. Several people received this message. It says America will go into a "mandatory quarantine" or a "national lockdown". &nbsp;

There are several versions of this message. But, all of them say pretty much the same thing. There will be a lockdown in the United States, enforced by the military.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Stock up on what you need. And a request to forward the message to friends and family.&nbsp;

<img alt="mm," data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="09ea491b-7bf6-4136-bb80-1952aa22ebdd" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/corona_natguard.jpg" /> 
 
&nbsp;The message spread like wildfire. Americans would understand the full import of this idiom.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
On March 16, the US National Security Council put out a tweet.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
They clearly said there will be "no national lockdown".&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Text message rumors of a national <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/quarantine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#quarantine</a> are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a> has and will continue to post the latest guidance on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>
— NSC (@WHNSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHNSC/status/1239398218292748292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The top national security body of the US president had to step in to handle a case of fake news. That's how serious the issue had become. The situation was alarming.&nbsp;

US intelligence agencies launched an investigation. &nbsp;On Wednesday, the New York Times published this story.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
American officials have evidence to believe that Chinese agents were involved. They pushed misinformation and fake news on different platforms.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The source or the origin of disinformation is not yet clear.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
But, American officials believe that Chinese operatives amplified fake messages. And this is what triggered panic among American citizens.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The United States is a regular target of disinformation campaigns now. The Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed how social media platforms can be compromised and misused.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;But, this campaign was much more sophisticated. Reports suggest Chinese agents used text messages and encrypted messaging apps.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Applications like WhatsApp. Since they are encrypted it's much harder for intelligence agencies to track them.&nbsp;

China has denied these charges. They called the report "complete nonsense". The United States and China are locked in an information war.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
America blames china for supplying "bad information" and China is hitting back with some rather crude remarks. 
&nbsp; 
In China's case, its actions to cover up the coronavirus outbreak certainly speak much louder than all the stories it's spinning.

Chinese agents are amplifying fake news in America and causing panic. Last month, posts like these went viral in the United States. The coronavirus was quickly spreading.

Chinese agents are amplifying fake news in America and causing panic. Last month, posts like these went viral in the United States. The coronavirus was quickly spreading. Several people received this message. It says America will go into a "mandatory quarantine" or a "national lockdown". There are several versions of this message. But, all of them say pretty much the same thing. There will be a lockdown in the United States, enforced by the military. Stock up on what you need. And a request to forward the message to friends and family. The message spread like wildfire. Americans would understand the full import of this idiom. On March 16, the US National Security Council put out a tweet. They clearly said there will be "no national lockdown". Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus — NSC (@WHNSC) March 16, 2020 × The top national security body of the US president had to step in to handle a case of fake news. That's how serious the issue had become. The situation was alarming. US intelligence agencies launched an investigation. On Wednesday, the New York Times published this story. American officials have evidence to believe that Chinese agents were involved. They pushed misinformation and fake news on different platforms. The source or the origin of disinformation is not yet clear. But, American officials believe that Chinese operatives amplified fake messages. And this is what triggered panic among American citizens. The United States is a regular target of disinformation campaigns now. The Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed how social media platforms can be compromised and misused. But, this campaign was much more sophisticated. Reports suggest Chinese agents used text messages and encrypted messaging apps. Applications like WhatsApp. Since they are encrypted it's much harder for intelligence agencies to track them. China has denied these charges. They called the report "complete nonsense". The United States and China are locked in an information war. America blames china for supplying "bad information" and China is hitting back with some rather crude remarks. In China's case, its actions to cover up the coronavirus outbreak certainly speak much louder than all the stories it's spinning.

'There is no national lockdown': United States alleges China's role in fake news spread