US must explain its bio-labs in Ukraine: Chinese military spokesperson

BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Thursday demanded the United States explain its research on biological weapons conducted in its bio-labs in Ukraine.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said he had taken note of relevant reports on U.S. bio-labs in Ukraine, adding that biological weapons are weapons of mass destruction and any information about biological military activities deserves close attention of the international community.

According to open sources, dozens of bio-labs in Ukraine were operated under the U.S. Department of Defense's commands. The lack of transparency and undeniable safety risks, among others, are important reasons these labs aroused broad concern, Wu noted.

The U.S. side is urged to take an open, transparent and responsible attitude and give a full account of its biological military activities at home and abroad and subject itself to multilateral verification, Wu said.