Politicizing COVID-19 origins tracing to lead nowhere: Chinese envoy

TEHRAN -- The origins tracing of COVID-19, a complex issue of science, "should and can only be undertaken by scientists around the world through joint research," Chinese ambassador to Iran Chang Hua wrote in an opinion piece published by Tasnim News Agency on Monday, warning against Washington's efforts to politicize this process.

At a critical moment when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to run rampant around the world, the U.S. intelligence community has recently compiled a so-called report on the origins of COVID-19 to slander and attack China.

"Essentially, it is a completely mendacious report made up for political purposes and there is no scientific basis or credibility in it, which does no good for the international anti-pandemic efforts," Chang said in the article.

Calling a report jointly released by Chinese and WHO experts earlier this year as "a good foundation for international cooperation on origins tracing," the ambassador said that China has "been supporting science-based efforts on origins tracing, and will continue to stay actively engaged."

Meanwhile, "we firmly oppose attempts to politicize this issue," he added.

In the article, he also criticized the United States for "not being transparent, responsible and cooperative on this issue," saying it "hypes up the lab-leak theory while shying away from tracing the origin at home."

Noting that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi underscored recently his staunch opposition to using the issue of COVID-19 origins tracing as a pretext to suppress and contain China, Chang said, "the Chinese side appreciates the just position of the Iranian side."

China will continue to work with friendly countries including Iran and the international community to resist the setbacks of politicizing origins tracing and bring it back to the right track of scientific cooperation, making contributions to the final victory against the pandemic, he added.