China says ‘extremely unlikely’ COVID-19 leaked from lab

ISTANBUL

China Thursday said that it is “extremely unlikely” that the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, rejecting the claims of the German intelligence report.

“It is ‘extremely unlikely’ that the pandemic was caused by a lab leak, this is the authoritative conclusion reached by the experts of the WHO-China joint mission based on science following their field trips to the lab in Wuhan and in-depth communication with researchers,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news conference in Beijing.

Her remarks came after BND, Germany's foreign intelligence service, on Wednesday said that the pandemic may have been caused by an accident at a Chinese laboratory that does virus research, according to German media reports.

“We believe the COVID-19 origins-tracing is a matter of science, and the judgment should be made by scientists and the science-based spirit should be upheld,” said Mao, adding that this conclusion was agreed upon largely by the international community, including the science authorities.

Mao expressed China’s opposition to “all forms of political manipulation” on the issue.

China had also previously rejected the “CIA-backed theory” that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from an accidental lab leak in Wuhan rather than natural transmission in a wet market.

The first cases of the COVID-19 virus were reported in Wuhan, central China, in December 2019. It subsequently spread worldwide, leading to national lockdowns and causing nearly seven million deaths.

ISTANBUL

China Thursday said that it is “extremely unlikely” that the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, rejecting the claims of the German intelligence report.

Mao expressed China’s opposition to “all forms of political manipulation” on the issue.

China had also previously rejected the “CIA-backed theory” that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from an accidental lab leak in Wuhan rather than natural transmission in a wet market.

The first cases of the COVID-19 virus were reported in Wuhan, central China, in December 2019. It subsequently spread worldwide, leading to national lockdowns and causing nearly seven million deaths.