China distances itself from official's tweet blaming US Army for bringing coronavirus to Wuhan

With American officials terming the deadly virus as Wuhan virus, Beijing deflected the blame of being the epicentre and try to reframe itself as an efficient country that took timely steps to stop the spread of the virus.

Beijing: China distanced itself from official's tweet blaming US Army for bringing coronavirus to Wuhan

China on Friday distanced itself from a tweet put out by one of its officials alleging that the US Army may have brought the deadly coronavirus to Wuhan, saying the origin of the outbreak required scientific assessment, amid a war of words between Washington and Beijing over the source of COVID-19.

China's official media on Thursday reported that the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield reportedly acknowledged some flu patients in America may have been misdiagnosed and had coronavirus.

Referring to Redfiled's remarks, Zhao Lijian, who until recently was China's deputy ambassador to Pakistan, alleged in his tweet that the US Army might have brought COVID-19 to Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus' outbreak in China.

"CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!" Zhao tweeted on Thursday with a video of Redfield's comments.

His tweet alleging US conspiracy for coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan sparked a furore on Twitter.

"There are many different opinions about the source of the coronavirus among the international community. We believe this is a matter of science and required professional and scientific assessment," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters here on Friday while answering questions on Zhao's tweet.

Asked whether it was also the Chinese government's view which has lodged a protest to the US over the issue, Geng said, "What I said represents the Chinese government's attitude."

When asked whether the media should take Zhao's tweet as an official position of the Chinese government and the Foreign Ministry as he is one of its spokesmen, Geng replied, "I think you may want to ask certain US officials, do they speak on behalf of the US government when they attacked and smeared China recently."

(With inputs from ANI)