Photo taken on March 30, 2021 shows an exterior view of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

Though the process of finding the source of the virus is still ongoing, evidence and data included in this report offer some key glimpse into it. For example, the team "reviewed data from published studies from different countries suggesting early circulation" of the novel coronavirus, according to the report.

The findings showed that "some of the suspected positive samples were detected even earlier than the first case in Wuhan, suggesting the possibility of missed circulation in other countries," the report said, adding that "Nonetheless, it is important to investigate these potential early events."

Also on Tuesday, the WHO held a briefing on the report. During it, British zoologist Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO team, said the Chinese scientists did a lot of the work.

"Don't think about national boundaries if we really want to defeat pandemics," he said. "We have to come together with other countries to focus on how they emerge and try and stop them for the future."

CHINA'S POSITIVE ROLE

China believes that the joint research will play a positive role in promoting global cooperation in COVID-19 origin tracing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

He said China has always been a supporter of global scientific research on the source of the virus and its transmission routes. China co-sponsored the 73rd World Health Assembly resolution on COVID-19 and supports WHO-led cooperation on zoonotic source research among member states.

Despite the daunting task of domestic prevention and control, China twice invited WHO experts in for origin-tracing, said the spokesperson, adding that the Chinese side offered necessary facilitation for the team's work, fully demonstrating its openness, transparency and responsible attitude.