Australia hails global support for independent #coronavirus investigation

Australia’s foreign minister insists a motion that has won support from more than 120 countries will pave the way for an impartial, independent and comprehensive investigation into the handling of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Facing criticism from some hawkish Coalition backbenchers that the motion to go to the World Health Assembly on Monday night had been “watered down”, Marise Payne described the growing global backing for a review as “a win for the international community”.

Australia has been one of the most vocal and early advocates of an independent investigation into the origins and early handling of the coronavirus outbreak, a stance that has attracted strong pushback from China, which claimed it was a political “manoeuvre” against Beijing.