China urges US to disclose data on its biological laboratories

Washington needs to disclose information about the operation of American biological laboratories worldwide, according to the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu.

He made the remarks, commenting on reports suggesting that the CIA in the US is inclined to believe the theory that the COVID-19 pandemic allegedly began due to a virus leak from a laboratory in Wuhan, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

The diplomat emphasized that the US "must immediately stop falsely accusing and slandering other countries, stop shifting the blame."

Furthermore, according to him, the US should "respond as soon as possible to the legitimate concerns of the international community, provide the World Health Organization (WHO) with early data regarding the alleged infection cases, disclose information about Fort Detrick and its biological laboratories around the world, and give a responsible explanation to the people of the world."

In 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the WHO should consider the theory of the coronavirus leak from a US military laboratory in Fort Detrick (Maryland) and similar institutions. Fort Detrick houses the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, which is under the Pentagon's control and conducts biomedical research, including on infectious diseases.

By Khagan Isayev