Exclusive: China’s ambassador to US refutes reports of concealed death tolls

As reports swirl from sources in the U.S. Intelligence Community that China vastly underreported the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, China's top diplomat in the U.S., Ambassador Cui Tiankai, joined Ian Bremmer for an exclusive conversation in which he responds to the claim.

"For the accusations that China is hiding the numbers, just think about it. We have such a huge population, such a big country, you cannot hide the cases with such a very vicious virus. Because if you have patients, they are just patients. If people are infected, they're just infected, how can you hide them?" Cui told Bremmer.

The interview is part of a wide-ranging conversation looking back at the origins of the pandemic, the current situation in China, and the state of U.S.–China relations amid this global crisis. GZERO World with Ian Bremmer will devote an upcoming episode to the interview, as well as a look at China's growing importance in the global response to coronavirus. The program begins airing nationally on Friday, April 10, on U.S. public television. Check local listings, and follow GZEROMedia.com for more excerpts throughout the week.