The Chinese Embassy in Australia said it was "nothing but a joke" for Australia to claim that a World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution that calls for an inquiry into the coronavirus was a vindication of Canberra's push for a global review.
In an unusually blunt statement, the embassy was sharply critical of Australia over an issue that has soured relations between the two countries over the past month.
"The draft resolution on COVID-19 to be adopted by the World Health Assembly is totally different from Australia's proposal of an independent international review," a Chinese embassy spokesman said in an emailed statement.
"To claim the WHA's resolution a vindication of Australia's call is nothing but a joke."
The WHA is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
