Beijing rebuts 'immoral' US accusations on data

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday that some US politicians are "being immoral and inhuman" for not putting people's lives and health above politics amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Rebutting the United States intelligence community's conclusion that Beijing underreported its epidemic data, Hua said that slander, smears and shifting the blame to others cannot make up for lost time, but will only cost more lost time and lives.

"The Chinese people understand very well, and sympathize with the American people for the pain they are suffering now," Hua said at a regular news conference in Beijing, adding that China is willing to provide them with help and support, within its ability, to combat the virus.

Politicizing public health issues should be denounced by people worldwide including those in the US, she said, urging US politicians to adjust their work priorities and direction and concentrate on saving the lives of people in the US.

On Thursday, the spokeswoman also further clarified previous media reports about the quality of masks purchased by the Netherlands from China.

According to an initial investigation by Chinese authorities, the reported shipment was of nonmedical masks purchased by a Dutch agent, Hua said, adding that the Chinese company had explicitly notified the Dutch before shipment that they were exported as nonmedical masks in the customs declaration.

"Now all countries urgently demand epidemic prevention materials. We kindly remind users to carefully check the purposes and use instructions of products, making sure the products meet their standards to avoid making mistakes in a hurry," she said.

Chinese authorities have adopted stricter measures to ensure the quality of medical supply exports since Wednesday, requiring exporters to provide extra documentation during customs clearance to prove that their products meet the quality standards of importing countries or regions.

Hua accused some media outlets of being irresponsible in hyping up a so-called quality issue with Chinese products before checking the facts.

"I hope they don't have ulterior motives because that will not help international cooperation in epidemic control," she said.