Secretary Pompeo had called for international inspectors.
China has rejected calls by American officials to give international inspectors access to labs to make sure dangerous pathogens similar to the coronavirus are not being released accidentally.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is conducting an investigation into whether the virus somehow escaped from a lab in Wuhan, the initial epicenter of the pandemic that has resulted in unprecedented lockdowns and crippled the world’s economy.
China’s foreign ministry spokesmen claimed that officials in the United States have attempted to “discredit China’s anti-epidemic efforts,“ and again faulted the U.S.’ response to the pandemic. The statement was in response to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who called for inspections at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other labs where Chinese scientists study viruses and other pathogens.
“There are multiple labs inside of China that are handling these things,” Secretary Pompeo said Wednesday at the State Department. “It’s important that those materials are being handled in a safe and secure way such that there isn’t accidental release.“
“We have to make sure that the Chinese Government is handling those materials in an appropriate way not only in the Wuhan Institute of Virology but elsewhere,” he added.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For China to cooperate with a full international investigation into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- For Secretary Pompeo and diplomatic efforts relative to the U.S.-China relationship that goes beyond the issues of the virus.
- For researchers as they seek to determine how the pandemic pathogen was initially transmitted.
Sources: Fox News, CBS News
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