COVID-19 origin probe matter of science not politics: China

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China on Monday pushed back efforts to what it called “politicize” a probe into the origins of COVID-19.

“The tracing of COVID origins is a matter of science and should not be politicized,” Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference in Beijing.

“Related parties should stop hyping lab-leak theory and smearing China,” Mao said, according to the Chinese daily Global Times.

Beijing’s comment on the possible origin of the deadly infection came after the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday said that there is no "definitive answer" to the question of whether the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic spread from a laboratory.

Sullivan was commenting on the US Energy Department’s reported conclusion that the pandemic “most likely arose from a laboratory leak.”

“There is a variety of views in the intelligence community,” said Sullivan, adding: “A number of them have said they just don’t have enough information.”