Coronavirus: Scott Morrison seeks support of G20 for inquiry

Scott Morrison has ramped up his global push for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus, asking G20 leaders for their support.

Scott Morrison in Canberra on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison has ramped up his global push for an independent inquiry­ into the origins of the coronavirus, writing to G20 leaders to seek their support for the review.

The Prime Minister said a “proper assessment” of the pandemic was crucial, as he pushed back against claims by US Secret­ary of State Mike Pompeo of “enormous evidence” that the ­coronavirus came from a Chinese laboratory.

Mr Morrison said Australia could not rule out that the virus escaped­ from a Wuhan lab, but “the most likely (origin) has been in a wildlife wet market”.

He said an independent review would help the world learn lessons that could be applied to future pandemics, “which could originate anywhere in the world”.

“I don't want to express an opinion about (the origin). I want to know,” Mr Morrison said. “The best way to arrive at that is what I have proposed. I have written to all G20 leaders this week proposing exactly that process.”

Sources told The Australian the Five Eyes intelligence network­ did not have information to back the claims of Mr Pompeo and President Donald Trump, who are said to be ranging “way ahead” of the US intelligence community.

The Australian has also been told the Trump administration’s strident push to link the pandemic to Chinese scientists without specific­ evidence is making it more difficult for Mr Morrison as he tries to build global consensus for the review.

His written appeal, which went to Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as other G20 leaders, follows phone calls with Mr Trump, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emman­uel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The government will seek broader support for the proposed review at a teleconference meeting of the World Health Organisation’s governing body on May 18.

Australia’s representative to the World Health Assembly will respond to a proposed EU motion at the meeting to formally launch the Morrison government’s bid for the independent inquiry. The motion does not specific­ally call for a review but urges “an evaluation, to be conducted … at the earliest appropriate­ moment, on lessons learnt from the international health response to COVID-19”.

The motion says the evaluation should look at “gaps in pandemic preparedness with a view to establishing­ a global initiative on pandemic preparedness and respons­e”, utilising existing global structures and programs.

A US Department of Homeland Security report on Tuesday AEST accused China of covering up the extent of its coronavirus outbreak in early January while stockpiling crucial medical supplies. The report emerged a day after Mr Pompeo declared China had “a history of infecting the world”, and linked the virus to Chinese­ scientists.

But, as the Trump administration ratchets up its case against China, Australia has urged a more sober assessment of the facts.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said all signs “point to Wuhan” as the source, and he found it “inconceivable” that China was resisting the inquir­y when so many had died.