China demands transparency from the U.S. on epidemic situation

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Thursday said it is the U.S. that lacks transparency in the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Robert Redfield, director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), openly admitted on Wednesday that some COVID-19 deaths have been misdiagnosed as influenza in the country.
Earlier, the CDC reported that at least 34 million Americans have been infected with flu this season and an estimated 20,000 people have died from it.
Zhao posted several tweets, demanding a further explanation from the U.S.
"CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in U.S.? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals?" he tweeted.
"It might be U.S. army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan," Zhao added, saying the U.S. should "be transparent" and "make public" all its data.
"U.S. owe us an explanation," he stressed.
Spokesperson Hua Chunying also responded in her Twitter on Thursday, saying "It is absolutely WRONG and INAPPROPRIATE" to call COVID-19 a Chinese coronavirus since the U.S. has acknowledged that some flu patients may have been misdiagnosed and actually had COVID-19.
Recently, Washington has played the blame game by pointing fingers at China over the outbreak, as U.S. officials continue to remind people of COVID-19's origin. U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien went even further, saying that "the outbreak was covered up" and that "cost the world community two months."
Earlier on Thursday's daily press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gengshuang told the U.S. side that Washington's focus at this time should be on a solution to the COVID-19 outbreak, rather than "shifting responsibilities" to China and defaming China's efforts to fight the pneumonia-like disease.