Beijing, China - April 8, 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Press conference in progress
2. Various of reporters
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhao Lijian, spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (starting with shot 2):
"I remember clearly that the last so-called 'open letter' of the sort was released on March 4. Now almost the same group of people composed this letter and both letters were drafted by a former member of the U.S. National Security Council Jamie Metzl. The release timing of these two so-called "open letters" is by no means coincidental, one published right before WHO released its joint research report on tracing the origin of the novel coronavirus, and the other published after the release of the report. It is self-evident that the purpose is to pressure WHO and the expert group."
4. Reporters
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhao Lijian, spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"The origin-tracing work is indeed affected by politics, not from China, but from some individual countries such as the United States. They insist on politicizing the origin tracing issue, trying to jeopardize and interfere with the cooperation between China and the WHO, attacking and smearing China, and openly challenging the independence of the scientists and their research conclusions. This harms the global cooperation on origin tracing of the novel coronavirus and affects the international efforts in fighting against the epidemic."
6. Reporters
7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhao Lijian, spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"With regard to the so-called 'laboratory leakage' of the virus, the WHO-China joint expert team, in this joint study, had candid and deep communication with the experts at the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other institutes and bio-safety labs. After having field visits and gaining an in-depth understanding of the situation in China, the expert team members unanimously agreed that it is 'extremely unlikely' that the COVID-19 was introduced through a laboratory incident in China."
8. Reporters
9. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhao Lijian, spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"We hope that all parties involved, including the United States, will adopt a scientific and cooperative attitude like China to cooperate with WHO on the origin-tracing work, and invite WHO experts to conduct origin-tracing research in their home countries."
10. Reporters
11. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhao Lijian, spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"Why does the United States need to build so many laboratories all over the world? What activities does the U.S. military carry out in these laboratories and the Fort Detrick army base? Why is the U.S. the only country to oppose the establishment of a verification mechanism in the Biological Weapons Convention? Are there any reasons why the U.S. does not dare to allow these laboratories and army bases to undergo international inspections? We once again call on the U.S. to respond to the concerns of the international community in a responsible manner, make a comprehensive clarification of the biological militarization activities within and outside the U.S., and stop exclusively blocking the establishment of a verification mechanism by the Biological Weapons Convention."
12. Various of reporters

China firmly opposes politicizing the origin-tracing study of the novel coronavirus by some individual countries such as the United States, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Zhao Lijian, the spokesman, made the remarks at a press conference when commenting on a so-called "open letter" written by 24 researchers from Europe, the U.S., Australia and Japan on a new probe into COVID-19 origins.

The "open letter" released on Wednesday by 24 scientists and researchers from Europe, the U.S., Australia and Japan criticized the joint China-WHO study into COVID-19 for "providing no credible answers about how the pandemic began, and alleged the work was "tainted by politics," media reports said.

On April 8, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian held a regular press conference. Some reporters asked questions about the release of an "open letter" by 24 scientists and researchers from Europe, the United States, Australia, and Japan.

"I remember clearly that the last so-called 'open letter' of the sort was released on March 4. Now almost the same group of people composed this letter and both letters were drafted by a former member of the U.S. National Security Council Jamie Metzl. The release timing of these two so-called "open letters" is by no means coincidental, one published right before WHO released its joint research report on tracing the origin of the novel coronavirus, and the other published after the release of the report. It is self-evident that the purpose is to pressure WHO and the expert group," Zhao said.

Whether they uphold a scientific and professional attitude and offer advice and suggestions for the origin-tracing study, or are just changing the form but not the content, and only trying to make a presumption of guilt for a specific country, that is clear to all, Zhao said.

"The origin-tracing work is indeed affected by politics, not from China, but from some individual countries such as the United States. They insist on politicizing the origin tracing issue, trying to jeopardize and interfere with the cooperation between China and the WHO, attacking and smearing China, and openly challenging the independence of the scientists and their research conclusions. This harms the global cooperation on origin tracing of the novel coronavirus and affects the international efforts in fighting against the epidemic," Zhao said.

"With regard to the so-called 'laboratory leakage' of the virus, the WHO-China joint expert team, in this joint study, had candid and deep communication with the experts at the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other institutes and bio-safety labs. After having field visits and gaining an in-depth understanding of the situation in China, the expert team members unanimously agreed that it is 'extremely unlikely' that the COVID-19 was introduced through a laboratory incident in China," said the spokesman.

Zhao said, "We hope that all parties involved, including the United States, will adopt a scientific and cooperative attitude like China to cooperate with WHO on the origin-tracing work, and invite WHO experts to conduct origin-tracing research in their home countries."

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper, "U.S.-controlled biological laboratories appear here and there in the world on a permanent basis. Strangely enough, they appear mainly near Russian and Chinese borders." He said Russia has every reason to believe the U.S. is developing biological weapons in labs. According to reports, the U.S. has set up 16 biological laboratories in Ukraine alone.

Concerns from Russia over militarized bio-tests carried out by the U.S. are shared by many countries, Zhao said, asking, "Why does the United States need to build so many laboratories all over the world? What activities does the U.S. military carry out in these laboratories and the Fort Detrick army base? Why is the U.S. the only country to oppose the establishment of a verification mechanism in the Biological Weapons Convention? Are there any reasons why the U.S. does not dare to allow these laboratories and army bases to undergo international inspections?"

"We once again call on the U.S. to respond to the concerns of the international community in a responsible manner, make a comprehensive clarification of the biological militarization activities within and outside the U.S., and stop exclusively blocking the establishment of a verification mechanism by the Biological Weapons Convention," he said.