TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Director Michael Ryan said Friday (Nov. 27) that it would be "highly speculative" to say coronavirus did not emerge in China.

While Beijing maintains it is open to an investigation into the origin of the outbreak, it has continued to push a narrative that the disease originated outside China. It also in recent weeks claimed that coronavirus was detected in imported frozen food shipments and had been circulating in Europe last year.

During a regular press conference in Geneva on Friday, Ryan pointed out that "it is clear from a public health perspective" that the first human cases of coronavirus were observed in China. He stressed that it would be speculative to say China was not ground zero.

Ryan also repeated that the global health body is planning to start its search in Wuhan, where coronavirus was first identified at a seafood market in December last year. He said 10 scientists named earlier this week will work alongside Chinese public health experts during their field studies and follow any evidence found in the central Chinese city, reported CNA.

Members of the global community have urged the U.N. agency to probe the virus' origins in China since the outbreak began. Although a team was sent to China for the mission in August, it did not visit Wuhan, raising concern among international leaders over Beijing's commitment to identifying the source.