Top US diplomat calls for China to step up and being transperent about COVID-19

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reiterated his predecessor Mike Pompeo's call to hold China accountable for the spread of COVID-19 across the world saying, Beijing has to step up and make sure it is being transparent about the deadly virus.

In an interview with Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC 'Andrea Mitchell Reports', Blinken said that the Chinese government's 'failure' in sharing and providing pertinent information regarding the deadly virus is something "we must address".

"There is no doubt that, especially when COVID-19 first hit but even today, China is falling far short of the mark when it comes to providing the information necessary to the international community, making sure that experts have access to China. All of the - that lack of transparency, that lack of being forthcoming, is a profound problem and it's one that continues," he said in the interview according to an official transcript provided by the US Department of State.

"China has to step up and make sure that it is being transparent, that it is providing information and sharing information... Its failure to do that is a real problem that we have to address," he added.

Pompeo, previously, said that the pandemic was avoidable adding that Beijing did not reveal vital information about the virus, which would have helped scientists to save the world from the disease.

China has been criticised widely across the world for its alleged role in the spread of the novel coronavirus that has infected over 102 million people across the world. More than 2 million people have lost their lives to the virus. While some accuse it of being complicit, others deem it culpable in the spread.

( With inputs from ANI )