WHO agrees to virus probe after Australia push
Australia's push for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic has been vindicated globally with widespread backing of the probe, including from China.
More than 110 countries at the World Health Assembly backed a resolution calling for an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the international response to the pandemic.
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the probe needs to protect against the health risks of wildlife wet markets and include all populations or partners.
Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt will demand better protection against wet markets when he addresses the World Health Assembly. AAP
"We need to learn the lessons from this pandemic and ensure we have the strongest possible global health architecture, with an enhanced ability to prevent and respond to future outbreaks," he told the assembly.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus promised a review would come "at the earliest appropriate moment".
Wet markets selling wildlife have been identified as the source of major health outbreaks. Getty
US President Donald Trump supported the probe by retweeting an Australian news story on the motion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also backed a WHO-led review and said his country had acted with "openness and transparency and responsibility" all along.
"This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO. And the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld," Xi told the meeting via video.
Xi also said China would stump up $US2 billion ($A3.1 billion) over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19.
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