China says firmly opposes politicizing, stigmatizing coronavirus origin

BEIJING - China firmly opposes politicizing and stigmatizing the origin of the novel coronavirus, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday, in response to Japanese leader's recent remarks.

The origin of the coronavirus is a serious scientific problem that must be studied by scientists and medical experts on the basis of facts and science, Zhao told a press briefing.

"China firmly opposes politicizing and stigmatizing the origin of the virus, which runs counter to the professional opinions of the World Health Organization, many research institutions and medical experts, as well as the efforts and expectations of the international community, including China and Japan, to jointly combat the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Political blindness should not override scientific judgment, and solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapon for mankind to defeat the pandemic, Zhao said.