China slams US accusation of genomic data collection

BEIJING - Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Wednesday slammed US accusation of genomic data collection, noting the accusation does not hold water and mean nothing except manufacturing sensational fake news items.

According to media reports, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of collecting human genomic data against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet as an additional form of control and surveillance.

China is a country governed by law. The privacy of all Chinese citizens, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, are protected by law, Wang said at a daily news briefing when asked to comment on the accusation of the US side.

"The United States widely collects and uses genomic information," Wang said, adding that according to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon has formulated R&D plans for hitting opponents with genetically engineered weapons. Those involved disclosed that the genomic data of Asian Chinese, European Aryans and Middle Eastern Arabs are all being collected by the US military.

According to the website of Russia-based Russia Today, the US Air Education and Training Command (AETC) once issued a tender seeking to acquire samples of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and synovial fluid from Russians, Wang added.

"It's pretty clear who exactly is using genomic information for secret purposes," he said.