Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

China expressed firm opposition and strong condemnation of a "COVID-19 Origins-Tracing" summary report released by the US intelligence, which is not scientifically credible, but serves as political manipulation, presuming guilt and shifting the blame onto others, the Chinese Embassy in the US said in a statement on Friday. 

The report by the US intelligence community has not produced the exact answer the US side wants. Continuing such an effort will also be in vain, because its subject is simply non-existent and unscientific, the embassy said in a statement after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the US on Friday released a summary of the intelligence community assessment on COVID-19 origins.

The report does not rule out either natural exposure or a laboratory accident as the origin of SARS-CoV-2. The report wrongly claims that China "continues to hinder the global investigation, resists sharing information and blames other countries."

The statement by the White House issued on the same day also purported that China is trying to hold back the international investigation and rejecting calls for transparency, urging like-minded partners to exert pressure on China.

The origins-tracing is a matter of science; it should and can only be left to scientists, not intelligence experts. Ignoring the Report by the WHO-China joint mission, it chooses to have its intelligence community put together a report instead. How can this possibly be science-based and reliable origins-tracing? The Chinese embassy said. 

There has been no lack of "masterpieces" by the US intelligence community, such as using a tube of laundry powder to convict Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction, or staging the "white helmets" video as evidence for chemical weapon attacks in Syria. Now, the US is reverting back to its old trick again, it continued. 

The assertion regarding a lack of transparency on the part of China is only an excuse for its politicizing and stigmatizing campaign. The openness and transparency China has displayed has won full recognition from international experts, the embassy said. 

The US has been shying away from tracing the origins in the United States and closing the door on any such possibility. If the US is "transparent and responsible," it should make public and examine the data of its early cases.  If the US insists on the lab leak theory, isn't it necessary for the US to invite WHO experts to Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina (UNC) for investigation? The Chinese embassy asked.

The embassy stressed that China's position on global origins-tracing is consistent and clear. This is a matter of science. China always supports and will continue to participate in science-based origins-tracing. What we are against is political manipulation, presuming guilt and shifting the blame onto others. 

Any Phase II origins study must be a comprehensive extension of Phase I and conducted in multiple places and countries to find out the truth, it stressed. 

This US move will only cause interference and damage to virus traceability and global anti-pandemic cooperation, it will badly influence the American people, and trigger a new round of discrimination and violence against Asians, the embassy warned.

The Chinese embassy reminds Chinese citizens living in the US to strengthen safety precautions and remain alert regarding discrimination and violence against Asian people. They must act calmly and react properly to avoid physical clashes in case of an emergency. The embassy will offer help if necessary.

Global Times