Chinese ambassador slams US manipulation of COVID-19 origins tracing

MANAMA - The United States has been using the COVID-19 pandemic as a tool of political manipulation against China despite China's openness, transparency and cooperation with all parties in tracking down the origins of the lethal virus, said Chinese ambassador to Bahrain recently.

In an op-ed in Bahrain's the Daily Tribune, Anwar Habibullah said that while the international community is working hard to overcome the epidemic, "the United States, out of its own interests, neglected the international consensus of fighting against COVID-19 corporately and scientifically," said the ambassador.

The so-called report on the origins of COVID-19 compiled by the US intelligence community recently "is a mendacious report made up for political purposes", stressed the ambassador.

"China has always followed the principles of openness, transparency, and responsibility to introduce the virus information to the world, share the genome sequence of the virus, and carry out anti-epidemic cooperation."

The first suspicious COVID-19 case found in China was reported to local authorities on Dec 27, 2019 and an emergency notice was later issued. On Dec 31, 2019, China reported relevant information to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the diplomat said.

He stressed China has demonstrated a scientific, professional, serious, and responsible attitude from the beginning, and since last year invited WHO experts twice to China to track down patient zero.

"China's open and transparent attitude on the issue of COVID-19 origins tracing was fully affirmed by international experts," stated the envoy.

Out of a "sinister intention" to suppress China, the United States also continued to pressure other countries and international organizations to adopt special measures against China on the issue of virus origins while China was working with global scientists and conducting large-scale global humanitarian operations, the diplomat said.

"We have provided $2 billion in assistance for the COVID-19 response and economic and social recovery in developing countries hit by the pandemic," he added.

He called China-Bahrain cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 an outstanding example.

"Bahrain government took the lead in approving the registration of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, and this cooperation played a positive role in vaccine research as well as anti-epidemic cooperation in other countries."

The envoy called for the non-politicization of scientific issues and urged all countries to unite and overcome the pandemic.