WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday pressed China to allow inspectors into sensitive laboratories, voicing concern about their security amid the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Pompeo has refused to rule out that the deadly virus leaked out of a laboratory in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, a scenario strenuously denied by Beijing.

“You have to remember — these labs are still open inside of China these labs that contain complex pathogens that were being studied. It’s not just the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Pompeo told reporters.

“It’s important that those materials are being handled in a safe and secure way such that there isn’t accidental release,” Pompeo told reporters.

Pompeo cited the example of nuclear facilities, pointing to the rigorous global inspections to ensure safety.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2020