Top US diplomat criticizes China, says 'need to get to the bottom' of COVID-19 origin

WASHINGTON - China's failure to provide access to global health experts made the COVID-19 pandemic worse than it had to be, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, and it was important to "get to the bottom" of the origin of the novel coronavirus.

The top U.S. diplomat's sharp words underscored criticism from other members of the Biden administration over Beijing's lack of transparency in the crucial early days of the pandemic. China did not give access to international experts or share information in real-time to provide true transparency, Blinken said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."