US coronavirus Photo:VCG

 Question: Commenting on a report by Republican members of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee claiming that “there is a preponderance of evidence that the corona virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology”, certain British media article said that the US House Foreign Affairs Committee should consider the lab leak hypothesis, make inquiries and draw conclusions based on the widest possible base of information. What's your comment on that?

Embassy Spokesperson: Study of virus origins is a scientific issue that should not be politicized. It should be led by scientists, not politicians.

In February 2021, a China-WHO joint expert team visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology and had in-depth and candid exchanges with experts there. Members of the joint expert team spoke highly of the Institute’s openness and transparency, and reached a conclusion in their joint study report that the allegation of lab leaking is “extremely unlikely”.

The relevant report by the Republican members of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee is based on lies and distortions, and unreliable and unscientific. It is concocted purely out of selfish political motives and for the purpose of slandering China. Such actions of stigmatization and political manipulation are disrespectful towards science, irresponsible for the life of people around the world and detrimental to global joint response to the pandemic. Such despicable and immoral behaviour must be categorically opposed to and strongly condemned by anyone with a sense of justice.

For some time, more and more reports have pointed to separate outbreaks of Covid-19 cases in multiple places in the world in the latter half of 2019, and in the US alone, at least five states have been found to have earlier Covid-19 infections before the first officially reported confirmed case. This again shows that origin-tracing of COVID-19 is a complex scientific matter, which calls for a global collaboration of scientists around the world. The US side’s political manipulation of origin-tracing is met with overwhelming rejection from the international community. As of now, 70 countries have sent letters to the WHO Director-General and issued statements to voice opposition to politicizing origin-tracing and emphasize the importance of upholding the joint China-WHO study report. This shows that people all over the world can tell right from wrong, and their objective and impartial voice should be heeded.

We urge relevant media organizations to adhere to the principles of objectivity and fairness, and stand with the international community to resist politicization, uphold science and the integrity of origins study, and foster a sound atmosphere for joint global response to the pandemic.