It is quite likely the case that China has not been completely open and transparent about the extent of its COVID-19 outbreak.
It’s also the case that such matters are not necessarily relevant in the immediacy of Canada’s efforts to contain its own outbreak.
So while Canada doesn’t need to go out of its way to pick a fight with China at the moment, it’s also reasonable to expect our political leaders to avoid parroting the official Chinese line.
The Chinese government is certainly trying to shape a narrative around the origins of this outbreak and Canada needs to avoid being a party to that in any way.