SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – In what is seen as comments that could further strain Sino-Australian ties, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia said that all countries should do all they can to understand the origins of COVID-19.
While addressing the United Nations General Assembly, he said there should be a probe into the roots of the novel coronavirus as it would minimise the threat of another pandemic.
“This virus has inflicted a calamity on our world and its peoples. We must do all we can to understand what happened for no other purpose than to prevent it from happening again,” Morrison said.
“There is a clear mandate to identify the zoonotic source of the COVID-19 virus and how it was transmitted to humans.”
He had made similar statements earlier this year, souring ties with Beijing.
He was at the forefront of global demands for a probe into the origins of the virus. China rebuffed that move and the Beijing envoy to Canberra said that such a move would affect trade relations.
Since that incident, Beijing has imposed trade sanctions on Canberra suspending some Australian beef imports and blocked a A$439 million ($308.5 million) trade in barley by imposing tariffs of 80.5%. It has also launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of Australian wine.
Morrison called on all nations to share a vaccine for the pandemic should one be developed.