The Belt and Road Journalists Forum Secretariat issued a statement against politicization of COVID-19 origin-tracing
On August 6, BRJN Secretariat issued a statement to resolutely oppose political factors and manipulations that interfere with the Covid-19 origin-tracing study, and call for joint efforts to safeguard the sound atmosphere for global anti-pandemic cooperation. The full text of the statement is as follows:
As the Covid-19 pandemic is still raging across the globe, the situation remains challenging. Faced with the most widespread pandemic the world has ever seen in almost a century, the international community can only defeat the disease through solidarity and cooperation. However, we are deeply concerned that there have been some dissonant voices recently in the international cooperation against the pandemic to politicize the origin-tracing of the coronavirus. The tracing of the origins of the virus is a complex scientific issue which requires scientists to carry out international scientific research and cooperation on a global scale. To tolerate the politicization of the issue would only severely poison the collaborative atmosphere for the origin-tracing research and undermine the progress made in the global efforts against the pandemic.
The Belt and Road Journalists Network (BRJN) aims to unite media organizations and journalists from different countries to firmly follow professionalism, take the initiative to spread the objective, rational and science-based voice, jointly safeguard the sound atmosphere for global anti-pandemic cooperation, and play an proactive role in exchanging information, uniting people, and combating the disease. We believe that the origin-tracing study must be conducted with firm scientific attitude, scientific approach and respecting scientific facts. We reject any attempt to politicize, label, or stigmatize the issue, and we oppose political factors and political manipulations that interfere with the study and international anti-pandemic cooperation.
The virus is the common enemy of mankind. To prevent and treat the disease, we must show solidarity. Traceability of the virus is a significant and complex scientific issue that requires the close cooperation of scientists across the globe, the joint efforts of governments and the people of all countries, as well as the responsible and just reports by the media and journalists around the world. We believe that as long as the international community works together and helps each other, we will surely be able to win the final victory in the global fight against the pandemic and embrace a better future.
BRJN Secretariat