Chinese FM urges U.S. to stop rehashing 'COVID lab leak' narrative

(ECNS) -- Certain parties should stop rehashing the “lab leak” narrative about COVID-19, stop smearing China and stop politicizing origins-tracing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday at the regular news briefing.

Mao make the remarks in response to a report that says the U.S. Energy Department claimed that it has new evidence indicating that COVID most likely arose from a laboratory leak from China.

The spokeswoman stressed that the origins-tracing of COVID-19 is about science and should not be politicized.

China has always supported and participated in global science-based origins-tracing, she added.

She pointed out that "a laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely" is 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.

The conclusion was accurately recorded in the mission's report and has received extensive recognition from the international community, she said.