Firmly oppose politicisation of the origin of the virus: China

After Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a "fair, independent and comprehensive verification with the European Union" on coronavirus, China's foreign ministry said that it "firmly opposes the politicization and stigmatization of the origin of the virus".

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"The origin of the new coronavirus is a serious scientific problem, which must be studied by scientists and medical experts on the basis of facts and science," China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

Several countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia have called for a probe into the origin of the virus. The World Health Organization(WHO) on its part had said it was ready to conduct a probe along with other member nations provided there was an invitation by China.

"It also goes against the efforts and expectations of the international community, including China and Japan, in the fight against the epidemic. I want to stress that political blindness should never override scientific judgment," China's foreign ministry spokesman stressed.

"Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons for humankind to overcome the epidemic," Zhao Lijian added.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi had earlier said his country was ready for "open" to international cooperation to identify the source of the virus, but added that it should be led by the WHO and should be "free of political interference".

"Fairness means the process be free of political interference, respect the sovereignty of all countries, and oppose any presumption of guilt," China's foreign minister asserted.