State media in China played down the severity of a surge of Covid-19 infections ahead of an expected briefing on Tuesday by its scientists to the World Health Organization, which is hoping for detailed data on the evolution of the virus. China’s abrupt U-turn on Covid controls on Dec. 7, as well as the accuracy of its case and mortality data, have come under increasing scrutiny at home and abroad.

China’s foreign ministry labelled travel entry curbs imposed by some countries as “simply unreasonable”, saying they “lacked scientific basis”. “We are willing to improve communication with the world,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.