The Hill: Pompeo uses Earth Day commemoration to urge China to shutter wet markets
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in an Earth Day message on Wednesday urged China to discontinue its wet markets where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated. … A bipartisan group of lawmakers made a similar call earlier in April in a letter led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.) to Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai…” (Budryk, 4/22).

Reuters: Pompeo renews criticism of China over virus but welcomes supplies
“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hit out at Beijing again on Wednesday over the coronavirus outbreak and accused it of taking advantage of the pandemic to bully neighbors, even as he welcomed China’s provision of essential medical supplies. … Even after Beijing notified the WHO of the outbreak, Pompeo said, ‘It did not share all of the information it had. Instead it covered up how dangerous the disease is.’ President Donald Trump last week suspended U.S. funding of the WHO, accusing the U.N. agency of promoting China’s ‘disinformation’ about the outbreak. WHO officials have denied this and China has said it has been transparent and open…” (Brunnstrom et al., 4/22).

Additional coverage of calls for China to close its wet markets is available from Al Jazeera, BBC, and NPR.