China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday urged the U.S. to stop its political manipulation of COVID-19 origin tracing immediately.

Wang Wenbin, the ministry's spokesperson, made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to U.S. President Joe Biden signing a bill, the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023, which says that the COVID-19 pandemic may have originated in China.

Wang said the bill seriously distorts facts and fabricates false information to smear and attack China, which China resolutely opposes.

He said China's position on origin tracing has been consistent, noting that China has supported and participated in global science-based origin tracing since day one and has been firmly opposed to all forms of political manipulation on this issue.

He said the U.S.'s political manipulation is the main stumbling block to the science-based research of the COVID-19 origins.

It has done nothing responsible on origin tracing and has never invited WHO expert groups to the U.S. for joint research or shared any early data on COVID-19 origins, he said, adding that it also turned a deaf ear to the world's concerns about U.S. bio-military bases at Fort Detrick and around the world.

On the contrary, the U.S. has been pointing the finger at WHO's origin tracing process, politically punishing scientists with conscience and attacking countries with lies that make no scientific sense, he said.

Wang said politicizing origin tracing would only hamper science-based cooperation on the issue, disrupt solidarity against the virus and undermine global health governance mechanisms.

He urged the U.S. side to stop politicizing, weaponizing and instrumentalizing COVID-19 origin tracing, voluntarily share the data of suspected early cases in the U.S. with the WHO, disclose information about its bio-labs at Fort Detrick and around the world and give the rest of the world the truth it deserves.

(Cover: A view of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, China. /CFP)