China to U.S.: 'COVID-19 Origin Tracing Must Continue'

China restated its argument that COVID-19 may have originated in the U.S. through a white paper as a rebuttal to U.S. accusations. While the White House claims the virus originated from a lab in China, China emphasizes WHO findings negating this theory, urging further investigation into the U.S.

In a recent development, China has reiterated its stance that COVID-19 may have had its origins in the United States, contradicting the widely propagated theory that it emerged from a lab in China. This comes as a response to allegations by President Donald Trump's administration that China was responsible for a lab leak.

The contentious exchange was sparked by a new white paper released by China's official Xinhua news agency. This document accuses the United States of politicizing the origins of the coronavirus. Furthermore, China references a lawsuit from Missouri, which led to a $24 billion ruling for supposed negligence and misinformation related to the pandemic.

China maintains that it cooperated with the World Health Organization, providing all necessary information promptly. Notably, a joint WHO-China study dismissed the lab leak theory as "extremely unlikely." The white paper calls on the U.S. to address international concerns about the origins of COVID-19, pointing to evidence suggesting the virus may have appeared in the U.S. ahead of the timeline established by American authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)