Chinese Embassy in Australia slammed Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton's accusation of China over its transparency about the COVID-19 outbreak, urging Australian politicians to stop acting as U.S.' mouthpiece.

In an interview last week, Dutton said China should be transparent about the origins of the virus, citing U.S. State Department comments that it had "documentation" showing how the virus had spread. However, Dutton noted he had not seen the documents he was referring to.

"What's puzzling is that without having seen the documentation, why he can't wait to ask China to be 'more transparent'?" the Chinese spokesperson questioned in a statement published on the embassy's website.

"Obviously, he must have also received some instructions from Washington requiring him to cooperate with the U.S. in its propaganda war against China," the spokesperson added in Tuesday's statement.

Noting that recently some people in the U.S., including high-level officials, have been spreading anti-China "information virus," the note stated that those people aim to shift blame and deflect attention by smearing China.

It added, "What they have done is neither moral nor helpful to solve their own problems."

The spokesperson also pointed out that some Australian politicians parroting American claims shows ignorance and bigotry, as well as lack of independence by serving orders from others. 

(Cover: Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton arrives at a media conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, August 23, 2018. /Reuters)