(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) Investigations, lawsuits, and "wet market" Geng Shuang responds to China-related epidemic remarks
China News Agency, Beijing, April 23 (Reporter Zhang Su) requested an investigation into the source of the epidemic, filed a lawsuit against China for compensation, and called on China to permanently close the "wild animal wet goods market." Recently, some international people have made these remarks around China's anti-epidemic response. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang responded at a regular press conference on the 23rd.
Source of investigation? Actually political manipulation
There are reports that US Secretary of State Pompeo pressured China to investigate China ’s sensitive laboratories. It is also reported that Australian Prime Minister Morrison expressed support for an independent investigation on the early response to the new coronary pneumonia epidemic. Australian Foreign Minister Payne said Australia will play a leading role in the investigation.
Geng Shuang responded to the above reports separately. He bluntly stated that some American politicians have repeatedly spread false statements that discredit China's prevention and control work, the purpose of which is to muddy the water and shirk their responsibility for their poor prevention and control. Facts speak louder than words. China ’s prevention and control work is always open, transparent, and responsible, and its actions are rapid, timely, and efficient.
As for Australia ’s “independent investigation”, Geng Shuang said that if the relevant reports are true, it can only be said that the so-called “independent investigation” proposed by Australia is actually engaging in political manipulation and interfering with the international epidemic prevention and control cooperation, which is unpopular. China urges Australia to let go of ideological prejudice and political manipulation and truly focus on the well-being of the Australian people and the public health and safety of people around the world.
Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov said on the 22nd that all the international community's claims about the artificial origin of the virus are unfounded. It is unacceptable to blame any country without sufficient scientific evidence.
"Russia maintains an objective, fair and scientific rational position on the source of the virus. We appreciate this." Geng Shuang said that the source of the virus is a scientific issue and should be referred to scientists and medical experts for research. This is a general consensus of the international community. Any politicized virus origins and attempts to "dump the pot" in other countries are unacceptable.
File a lawsuit? Indiscriminate litigation cannot succeed
Under the epidemic, some people tried to "dump the pot" to China by litigation. After the US Attorney General of Missouri sued the Chinese government in the local court, the Mississippi Attorney General also said that he would file a lawsuit against the Chinese government and demand that China bear responsibility and compensate for the damage caused by the new coronary pneumonia epidemic.
At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on the 22nd, Geng Shuang had already expressed his position on the abuses. At the time, he said that the so-called lawsuit was purely malicious indiscriminate and violated basic legal principles. According to the principle of sovereign equality in international law, sovereign actions taken by Chinese governments at all levels in the prevention and control of epidemics are not subject to the jurisdiction of the US courts. Such abuses are not conducive to epidemic prevention and control in the United States, and also run counter to the current international anti-epidemic cooperation.
Geng Shuang reiterated on the 23rd that "dumping the pan" and blaming China cannot solve the problems of the United States itself, and it is impossible for it to succeed in prosecuting China. The information released at the regular press conference on that day again pointed to the weakness of the US epidemic prevention.
For example, a reporter quoted the "Washington Post" and other reports that since January this year, many officials and experts of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been transmitting real-time news of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic to the US government, but the US government ignored the warning. In another example, many people were concerned about the earliest death of a new corona pneumonia in the United States on February 6. Experts believed that the new coronavirus was likely to spread in the native American community as early as mid-January and criticized the US government for its insufficient virus detection capabilities.
"This new medical discovery proves once again that the source of the new coronavirus is indeed a complex scientific issue and should be left to scientists and medical experts to study." Geng Shuang commented.
Wild animal wet goods market? China does not have this concept
April 22 is Earth Day. In his speech, Pompeo called on China and other countries to permanently close the "wild animal wet goods market" to reduce the threat to human health. A reporter asked what comment China has on this.
Geng Shuang admitted that there is no so-called "wild animal wet goods market" in China. In fact, there is no such thing as a "wet market" in China. People often talk about farmers' markets and live poultry and seafood markets. This kind of market exists not only in China, but also in many Southeast Asian countries and the vast number of developing countries, and is closely related to the lives of local people. International law does not restrict the opening and operation of such markets.
He further pointed out that China has legislation comprehensively prohibiting the hunting, trading, transportation and consumption of illegal wildlife. China ’s farmers ’markets and live poultry and seafood markets are not wild animal markets. It is illegal to sell wild animals in the Chinese farmers' market and the live poultry and seafood market. Once found, it will be banned and punished by law.
Geng Shuang said that after the outbreak of the New Coronary Pneumonia, relevant Chinese departments and local governments have further strengthened the management of the farmers ’market and the live poultry and seafood market, implemented a series of strict quarantine inspections, and ensured that all animal epidemic prevention and control measures are put in place. (Finish)