For the World Health Organization, its fact-finding mission to China left many questions on the possible origins of the pandemic. In Beijing, however, the outcome was framed Wednesday as something solid: vindication and triumph.

The WHO’s headline announcement — that it would rule out the possibility the virus accidentally leaked from a Wuhan lab — was hailed by Chinese officials and in state media as effectively silencing claims that China was hiding secrets and trying to deflect blame.

But some prominent public health experts in the West questioned whether China offered the WHO team enough freedom to fully investigate Wuhan’s piece of the global pandemic puzzle.

The WHO statement Tuesday “put an American conspiracy theory to rest,” China’s Global Times newspaper said. The official Reference News called the visit by the U.N. health agency a showcase of China’s “positive, scientific, cooperative attitude.”