On May 13, 2020, Hill Times published a signed article by Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu titled "The origins of COVID-19 should not be politicized". Here is the full text:

According to data from the World Health Organization, as of May 7, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide hit more than 3.6 million, and the global coronavirus death toll has reached a quarter million.

Sadly, instead of focusing on the COVID-19 containment in their own countries, certain politicians in some countries, out of their political calculations, have propagated false allegations against China by hyping up "China being the origins of the epidemic," even claiming that the "virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan." However, they failed to present any evidence so far. Such a move seriously misleads the public, which will not help their own countries' fight against the virus but will undermine the international efforts to fight the epidemic.

Tracing the origins of the virus is a serious matter of science, where we need to heed and respect science-based and professional views-that is a generally recognized international consensus, not China's own view. The WHO and the international society oppose linking the virus to specific countries or regions.

China was the first to report the novel coronavirus infected cases. Nevertheless, where did the first cases occur? When did it occur? So far, neither scientists nor disease control experts have reached a definite conclusion.

Lately, the New York Times and other media outlets have a number of reports of suspected initial COVID-19 infections: a French doctor treated a COVID-19 patient in December 2019; a doctor in Italy said he saw the novel coronavirus cases between October and December 2019; Japanese virologists also found a patient infected with the disease last August; and the mayor of Belleville, N.J., Michael Melham, said that he thinks he contracted the novel coronavirus last November.

If the above reports are accurate, it means that the novel coronavirus appeared in other countries long before China reported the virus. Of course, it should be the subject of study for scientists and medical experts.

At present, almost all the top scientists in the world believe that novel coronavirus originated from nature, and is not man-made. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert from the U.S. said that the best evidence shows the virus behind the pandemic was not made in a lab in China. This virus evolved in nature and then jumped species, and it could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated. Director Francis Collins of the U.S. National Institutes of Health also wrote that this novel coronavirus arose naturally and was not the product of purposeful manipulation in a lab. A WHO official, Maria Van Kerkhove, said some 15,000 full genome sequences of the novel coronavirus available show the novel coronavirus is not man-made.

Some countries urged the WHO to investigate the coronavirus outbreak. As a matter of fact, China has been upholding an open, transparent, and responsible attitude and maintaining close communication with the WHO since the outbreak began. In February, the WHO sent a team of medical experts, including American experts, to China for a field investigation. Having learned about China's efforts in combatting the disease, the experts spoke positively about the results China has achieved in the fight.

China takes an open position towards carrying out scientific research regarding the COVID-19 disease. We support summarizing and reviewing the epidemic response at an appropriate time to advance international health co-operation and to improve the global public health security governance so that we can deal with similar challenges better in the future. What China firmly opposes is the political manoeuvres of the pandemic, and the investigation based on the presumption of guilt.

Since the medical circle remains divided over the first coronavirus case, the whole international community should actively work with the WHO in the appraisal of the cause.

Human life deserves the most respect. As the whole world still faces severe challenges, the pressing task for the international community is to strengthen co-operation in fighting the pandemic and jointly safeguard the public health security of mankind. It is an essential part of building a community with a shared future.

Relevant politicians should focus on combatting the pandemic at home, where the novel coronavirus infected cases have surpassed 1.2 million, and stop the pandemic-related political farce. Any blame-shifting for political purposes will be in vain.