China Calls Covid Laboratory Leakage Theory A Lie After Who Report

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also denied allegations that China had not fully cooperated with the researchers, saying it welcomed a science-based investigation but rejected any political manipulation.
He also reiterated calls for research into “highly suspect laboratories such as Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina” in the United States, where China has suggested, without evidence, that the United States has developed the coronavirus as a bio-weapon.
“The theory of laboratory leakage is completely a lie devised by anti-Chinese forces for political purposes, which has nothing to do with science,” Zao told a daily news release.
“We have always supported and participated in the global detection of viruses based on science, but we strongly opposed any form of political manipulation,” he said.
Zao said China has made a significant contribution to detecting the virus, sharing most of the data and research results.
This “fully reflects China ‘s open, transparent and accountable attitude, as well as its support for the work of the WHO and the Advisory Group,” he said.
The WHO’s stance in a report released Thursday is a sharp reversal of the UN Health Organization’s initial assessment of the pandemic.  It comes after many critics accused the WHO of being too quick to reject or undermine a laboratory leak theory that put Chinese officials on the defensive.
After a tightly controlled visit to China last year, the WHO concluded that it was “extremely unlikely” that the coronavirus had spread to humans from a laboratory in Wuhan.  Many scientists suspect that the coronavirus was transmitted from bats to humans, possibly through another animal.
However, in Thursday’s report, the WHO team of experts said that “key elements” were still missing to explain how the pandemic started.  The scientists said the team “will remain open to any scientific evidence available in the future to allow a thorough test of all reasonable hypotheses.”
Identifying the source of an animal disease usually takes years.  It took more than a decade for scientists to identify the species of bats that were the natural reservoir for SARS, a relative of COVID-19.
The WHO panel of experts also noted that since laboratory accidents have caused some outbreaks in the past, the highly politicized theory could not be rejected.

title: “China Calls Covid Laboratory Leakage Theory A Lie After Who Report " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-25” author: “Jeffrey Villa”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also denied allegations that China had not fully cooperated with the researchers, saying it welcomed a science-based investigation but rejected any political manipulation.
He also reiterated calls for research into “highly suspect laboratories such as Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina” in the United States, where China has suggested, without evidence, that the United States has developed the coronavirus as a bio-weapon.
“The theory of laboratory leakage is completely a lie devised by anti-Chinese forces for political purposes, which has nothing to do with science,” Zao told a daily news release.
“We have always supported and participated in the global detection of viruses based on science, but we strongly opposed any form of political manipulation,” he said.
Zao said China has made a significant contribution to detecting the virus, sharing most of the data and research results.
This “fully reflects China ‘s open, transparent and accountable attitude, as well as its support for the work of the WHO and the Advisory Group,” he said.
The WHO’s stance in a report released Thursday is a sharp reversal of the UN Health Organization’s initial assessment of the pandemic.  It comes after many critics accused the WHO of being too quick to reject or undermine a laboratory leak theory that put Chinese officials on the defensive.
After a tightly controlled visit to China last year, the WHO concluded that it was “extremely unlikely” that the coronavirus had spread to humans from a laboratory in Wuhan.  Many scientists suspect that the coronavirus was transmitted from bats to humans, possibly through another animal.
However, in Thursday’s report, the WHO team of experts said that “key elements” were still missing to explain how the pandemic started.  The scientists said the team “will remain open to any scientific evidence available in the future to allow a thorough test of all reasonable hypotheses.”
Identifying the source of an animal disease usually takes years.  It took more than a decade for scientists to identify the species of bats that were the natural reservoir for SARS, a relative of COVID-19.
The WHO panel of experts also noted that since laboratory accidents have caused some outbreaks in the past, the highly politicized theory could not be rejected.