China says it maintains communication and cooperation with Russia over infectious-disease prevention, including plague.
The statement follows the death of a worker at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, while contacts were placed under medical observation.
WHO says no plague cases have been confirmed in Irkutsk and assesses the wider regional risk as very low.
China has broken its silence on the suspected pneumonic plague case in Siberia, saying it is maintaining close communication and cooperation with Russia as authorities investigate the death of a worker at an anti-plague research institute in the Irkutsk region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks on Tuesday in response to a question about whether Russian authorities had contacted China for assistance or cooperation over the incident. “China and Russia maintain close exchanges and cooperation in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, including plague,” Guo said.
The comments mark Beijing’s first official response to the case, which has drawn international attention because of the deceased worker’s connection to a facility specialising in dangerous infectious diseases.
China Says It Is Cooperating With Russia
The statement came after a worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died last week following severe pneumonia of unknown origin. Russian authorities initially investigated whether pneumonic plague could have been responsible, prompting precautionary health measures and the monitoring of people who had been in contact with the worker.
Nearly 200 contacts were reportedly placed under medical observation. However, Russian authorities subsequently told the World Health Organization that no cases of plague had been recorded in Irkutsk and that tests among identified contacts had found no dangerous infectious pathogens.
The WHO has not confirmed that the deceased worker had pneumonic plague. Its spokesperson, Christian Lindmeier, said Russian authorities had not confirmed the cause of death and that the UN health agency remained in contact with Moscow under international health regulations.
The WHO currently assesses the risk as moderate to low in Irkutsk oblast, low for Russia as a whole and very low for the wider European region.
China’s response comes against the backdrop of close health-security cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. The Irkutsk institute reportedly completed an emergency-response exercise with Chinese counterparts just over a month ago, focusing on infectious-disease outbreaks and measures to monitor and control their spread in border regions.
Why The Case Has Raised International Concern
The Irkutsk region does not directly border China, lying north of Mongolia, but the city of Irkutsk is connected to Chinese cities by air and rail, giving the development wider regional significance. China’s consulate in Irkutsk has not publicly commented on the case.
Pneumonic plague is a severe form of plague that affects the lungs and can spread between people through respiratory droplets. Unlike bubonic plague, which is generally transmitted through infected fleas, pneumonic plague can spread directly between people, although prompt antibiotic treatment can be effective.
The international response has nevertheless remained cautious because there is currently no confirmed outbreak. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said there were no reports of secondary cases or evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.
US President Donald Trump has also said he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation, while offering US assistance. The White House has said American officials are closely monitoring developments.
For Beijing, the immediate message is one of cooperation rather than alarm. Its statement underscores that Chinese and Russian health authorities maintain channels for dealing with infectious-disease threats, even as international agencies continue to seek clarity over what caused the worker’s illness and death.
