China rejects 'political, false' US report on Covid origins

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Beijing lashed out against a US intelligence review into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, calling it “political and false” while urging Washington to “stop attacking” China.

The Chinese foreign ministry's retort came days after the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a fuller version of its findings from a 90-day review ordered by President Joe Biden, AFP reports.

The paper said that, without new information, intelligence agencies would not be able to offer a better judgement on whether the virus emerged via animal-to-human transmission or a lab leak.

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded in a statement that China had expressed firm opposition to initial findings published in the summary report in August.

“No matter how many times this report is published and how many versions are concocted, it cannot change the nature of this being entirely political and false,” Wang said.

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