Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's claims that the novel coronavirus originated in a lab in Wuhan, saying he "doesn't have any evidence." 

"I think this matter should be handed to scientists and medical professionals, and not politicians, who lie for their own domestic political ends," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing.  

"Pompeo repeatedly spoke up but he cannot present any evidence. How can he? Because he doesn't have any," she said. 

Pompeo said on Sunday that there was "enormous evidence" to show that the new coronavirus originated in a lab in China. 

What the international community knows is that the U.S. used bacterial weapons in the Korean War and used Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, Hua said. 

The U.S. has established a number of biological laboratories in former Soviet Union countries but has kept quiet about their functions, uses and safety factors, Hua noted.

She went on saying that there had been "many reports" suggesting that there were coronavirus cases discovered in the U.S. or France last year, and said that this suggests the "sources (of the virus) are very diverse." 

Hua urged the U.S. to shoulder its responsibility and stop making groundless accusations against China. 

Responding to reports that President Donald Trump's Republican allies try to enlist foreign allies in pressure campaign against China over coronavirus response, Hua said it's in fact an act to force or threaten its allies to discredit China. 

Some U.S. politicians ignore the facts and shift all responsibilities to China for domestic political reasons, Hua said. 

On this issue, European and other countries really need to make a choice, but this choice doesn't lie between China and the United States, but between lies and facts, unilateral bullying and multilateral cooperation, every country faces such a choice, Hua said, adding that the answer is obvious, and many countries have given their answers through practical actions. 

As of May 1, China has offered the U.S. over five billion masks, 330 million pairs of surgical gloves, 38.85 million pieces of protective clothing, 5.98 million pairs of goggles, and nearly 7,500 ventilators, according to Hua.  

"Therefore, the claims that China concealed epidemic situation, delayed information release, and profited from the virus are purely nonsense, and do not hold water," stressed Hua. 

"We urge the U.S. to stop... shifting the focus to China," Hua said. "It should handle its domestic affairs properly first. The most important thing now is to control the U.S.' domestic pandemic spread and think of ways to save lives." 

(Cover: Xinhua)