As the world marks three years since COVID-19 first emerged, the debate over its origins has flared up again—this time with Beijing accusing Washington of pulling politics into science. On Wednesday, China's National Health Commission (NHC) condemned a recent article on the White House website that once more pointed to a laboratory in Wuhan, Hubei Province on the Chinese mainland, as the pandemic’s starting point.
“The so-called ‘reasons’ cited in the article have no scientific foundation, and the so-called ‘evidence’ is entirely fabricated,” said an NHC spokesperson, who argues that U.S. efforts to frame and vilify the Chinese mainland reveal a “malicious intent to politicize a scientific issue.” The spokesperson added that the global scientific community has long discredited such tactics.
Beyond refuting the lab-leak narrative, the NHC spokesperson turned the spotlight back on the United States, suggesting that “mounting clues and evidence” indicate COVID-19 may have emerged in the U.S. even earlier. “The next phase of origin-tracing should take place in the U.S.,” they insisted.
In closing, the spokesperson called on Washington to end its “smear campaign,” reflect on its own pandemic-handling record, and “provide a responsible explanation to the international community.” With trust in public health at a premium, the exchange highlights the fine line between science and statecraft in our interconnected world.
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China slams U.S. for politicizing COVID-19 origins tracing again
cgtn.com
