China refutes joint statement from 14 countries on WHO report

BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday refuted a joint statement made by the United States and 13 other countries expressing "concerns" over the World Health Organization (WHO) report on the origins of COVID-19, and said this was evidence of certain countries' disrespect for science and political manipulation of the origin-tracing issue, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily news briefing when answering a relevant question. She said China had repeatedly emphasized that origin-tracing is a matter of science, which should be jointly conducted by scientists all over the world and should not be politicized.

Hua said politicizing the origin-tracing issue was immoral and unpopular and will only hinder global cooperation in the study of the origins of COVID-19, jeopardize anti-pandemic cooperation, and cost more lives, which runs counter to the wishes of the international community.

"These countries should engage in some self-reflection and ask themselves, how has their own anti-epidemic work gone? What have they done for international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic?" Hua said.