A soldier guards outside the Fort Detrick. Photo: AFP

 The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the US to tell the international community the truth about an infectious disease research lab under the US Army, while refuting the conspiracy theory over the Wuhan biology laboratory, after a US cable triggered rumors that the COVID-19 pandemic may have started from the Wuhan lab.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference on Wednesday that Yuan Zhiming, a member of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and director of the National Biosafety Laboratory in Wuhan, had made a comprehensive response to the public attention over the lab. 

Wang quoted Yuan as saying that the laboratory, which has high standards of biological safety facilities, has established a strict management system requiring all researchers to pass theoretical and practical training, and to be qualified and approved before joining in the lab.

Wang's remark was a response to US media reports that the country's State Department has released a 2018 cable that claims the coronavirus escaped from the Wuhan's lab.

Wang condemned some US politicians who spread rumors, even claiming that they have "abundant evidence" to support their so-called truth, and have no moral bottom line.

The reports only exposed the US "evidence" and "truth" of its conspiracy theory against China is a low "golden nugget," Wang noted.

Wang said even leading US experts cannot believe the cable can support the coronavirus-origin claim.

"Speaking of the truth, we would like the US government to tell the truth about the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland to US and the international community," Wang said.

The US lab is causing wide anger for its reopening in April regardless of US and global citizens' opposition after months of shutdown for reported "structural defects."

People doubt the possible link between the institute and a series of deadly disease outbreaks, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has caused more than 140,000 deaths in the US.

Global Times