By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Aug. 30: China has expressed thanks to Nepal for supporting it on the issue of origin-tracing of the COVID-19.

"China thanks Nepal for always adhering to an objective and fair position and giving China valuable support on the issue of origin-tracing," spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Nepal said in written reponse to the media, according to a press note issued by the embassy.

Re-affirming China's continued support for Nepal in the fight against COVID-19, the Chinese embassy spokesperson said, "Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Nepal have always helped and supported each other, setting a good example of international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. China has delivered more than 7.4million doses vaccine to Nepal through grant assistance or commercial purchase, and this makes China the No.1 supplier of vaccines to Nepal up to now."

The embassy spokesperson blamed the USA for politicising so scientific issue as the origin-tracing of the COVID-19 and dismissed the recent US report on the issue.

Here is the full text of the remarks.

Remarks by spokesperson of Chinese Embassy on the so-called “COVID-19 Origin-Tracing” Report of the U.S.

Q: It is reported that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the United States released a summary of the intelligence community assessment on COVID-19 origins, which wrongly claims that China “continues to hinder the global investigation, resist sharing information and blame other countries”. The statement by the White House issued on the same day also purported that China tries to hold back international investigation and rejects calls for transparency. What comment do you have?

A: It is a mendacious report made up for political purposes. There is no scientific basis or credibility in it. The US has also released a statement slandering and attacking China. The Chinese side hereby expresses its firm objection. It has made strong representations with the US.

The origin-tracing is a matter of science; it should and can only be left to scientists, not intelligence experts. The US, however, disregards science and facts. It is instead obsessed with political manipulation and origins tracing by the intelligence community. Without providing any evidence, the US has cooked up one story after another to defame and accuse China. The aim is to use origins tracing to shift blame onto China and spread the political virus. The deployment of the intelligence community in origins tracing is in itself a compelling evidence of the politicization of the issue. Those activities will only interfere in and undermine the global efforts of origins tracing and cooperation on pandemic response.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has taken an open, transparent and responsible attitude. We have released information, shared the genome sequencing of the virus, and carried out international cooperation to fight the disease, all done at the earliest possible time. China’s position on global origin-tracing is consistent and clear. This is a matter of science. China attaches great importance to international scientific cooperation on origins tracing, and has taken an active part in such cooperation. We are the first to cooperate with the WHO on global origin-tracing, and we have invited WHO experts to conduct the investigations twice in China, the openness and transparency China has displayed has won full recognition from international experts. WHO released a Joint Report containing authoritative, professional and science-based conclusions on March 30, 2021. This is a good foundation for international cooperation on origins tracing.

To politicize origins tracing will find no support. More than 80 countries including Nepal have written to the WHO Director-General, issued statements, or sent diplomatic notes to voice their objection to the politicization attempts and call for the Joint Report by the WHO-China joint study team to be upheld. Over 300 political parties, social organizations and think tanks from more than 100 countries and regions have submitted a joint statement to the WHO Secretariat on opposing politicization of origin-tracing. Over 25 million Chinese netizens have signed an open letter asking for an inquiry into the Fort Detrick base. These are people's calls for justice. We have been supporting science-based efforts on origins tracing, and will continue to stay actively engaged. But we firmly oppose attempts to politicize this issue.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Nepal have always helped and supported each other, setting a good example of international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. China has delivered more than 7.4million doses vaccine to Nepal through grant assistance or commercial purchase, and this makes China the No.1 supplier of vaccines to Nepal up to now. China thanks Nepal for always adhering to an objective and fair position and giving China valuable support on the issue of origin-tracing. China will continue to strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation with Nepal, provide more vaccines to Nepal within its capacity, and work together with Nepal to resist the headwind of politicization of origin-tracing and safeguard the sound atmosphere of global anti-epidemic cooperation.