Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday refuted a US Department of Energy assessment report that claimed the Covid-19 pandemic most likely came from a lab leak in China and said that the “origins-tracing of SARS-CoV-2 is about science and should not be politicized.”
Mao Ning in a regular press conference said, “The origins-tracing of SARS-CoV-2 is about science and should not be politicized. China has always supported and participated in global science-based origins-tracing.”
She also said that “a laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely” in a “science-based, authoritative conclusion reached by the experts of the WHO-China joint mission after field trips to the lab in Wuhan and in-depth communication with researchers.”
Over US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s remarks on China providing assistance to Russia through its companies, Ning said, the US is in “no position to point fingers” as the country itself has been selling “sophisticated weapons to the Taiwan region in violation of the three China-US joint communique.”
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US sanctioned several Chinese companies on 24 February, one year of Ukraine’s war anniversary, citing their involvement with Russia. Ning called on the US to “reflect on its behaviour” and “do something that will actually help de-escalate the situation and get peace talks going.”
She added that China’s position on Ukraine war has been “objective and fair” and the country have actively promoted peace talks and sought a political solution. “The US, however, has been fanning the flame and fueling the fight with more weaponry.”
“The US also needs to stop spreading disinformation and withdraw sanctions on Chinese companies. The Chinese side will continue to do what is necessary to firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. We will take resolute countermeasures in response to the US sanctions,” Ning said.