On August 23, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin presided over a regular press conference.

A reporter asked questions at the meeting. Recently, the University of North Carolina's Biological Laboratory and Professor Barrick, known as the “coronavirus hunter” at the university, continue to attract media attention, especially Barrick’s superb technology in synthetic coronaviruses. The poor safety record of the University of North Carolina's biological laboratory, and the extraordinary partnership between Barrick and Fort Detrick.

Does China have any comment on this?

　　Wang Wenbin pointed out that, first of all, the United States is the country with the earliest and strongest ability to carry out recombinant virus research, and it is also the largest funder and implementer of global coronavirus research.

According to reports, Professor Barrick began research on recombinant coronaviruses as early as 1990, and his team has already possessed extremely mature coronavirus synthesis and transformation capabilities.

Barrick himself stated in an interview with Italian national television in September last year that he could "artificially modify the virus without leaving a trace."

In fact, as long as the investigation of Barrick's team and its laboratory can clarify whether the research on the coronavirus has and will produce the new coronavirus.

　　Second, the United States is also the country with the worst safety record for biological laboratories.

From January 2015 to June 2020, the University of North Carolina reported to the National Institutes of Health 28 safety incidents involving genetically engineered microorganisms, of which 6 involved coronaviruses including SARS, MERS, and new coronaviruses, and many The virus has been genetically modified, and a total of 8 researchers may be infected.

　　Wang Wenbin said that the United States is deliberately trying to prove that the Wuhan Institute of Virology has leaked the new coronavirus, but WHO experts have visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology twice and concluded that it is extremely unlikely that the virus leaked from the Wuhan laboratory.

So, when will the United States invite WHO experts to the University of North Carolina Biological Laboratory and the "U.S. Army Institute of Infectious Diseases" to investigate?

We advise the United States not to pour dirty water on others, and first investigate the situation in its own laboratory before talking about it.

(Producing Wu Rui)

Editor in charge: [Ji Xiang]