Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2020 shows the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.(Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

China's chief epidemiologist has urged Chinese experts to actively participate in the WHO-led investigation of COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the investigation does not target at any single country, so China should not be afraid of inviting suspicion, as hostile voices against the nation are quite rare in the international community.

Zeng Guang, the chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Global Times on Thursday that the investigation is a multilateral one, not specifically targeted at any country, and Chinese experts should actively participate in order to contribute China's ideas and voices. 

Zeng stressed that hostile voices against China are quite rare in the international community, so "China should not be afraid of inviting suspicion." 

Speaking of the criticism against China from the US, Zeng said "apart from the WHO, we have informed the US the most, because we have protocols on public health."

Zeng noted he had candid discussions with experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently, and realized the questions they raised were not particularly against China. 

The WHO agreed on Monday to launch an independent investigation into how it led the international effort to deal with COVID-19. The organization's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement at the UN agency's yearly General Assembly.