China urges US to clarify its Ukraine bio-military activities

Beijing: The United States should give comprehensive and detailed clarification of its bio-military activities, and end its solitary stance of opposing the establishment of a multilateral verification mechanism for biological weapons, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a media question on Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s recent reiteration of Russia’s discovery of certain documents and information on the bio-military plan implemented in Ukraine by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Russian side has disclosed related facts to the United Nations and other international organizations, demanding detailed explanations from the U.S. side, said one reporter.

Zhao replied that the United States has so far failed to provide a convincing explanation for its bio-military activities, adding that there were ambiguities and even contradictions in the U.S. statements so far, which further aggravates the concerns of the international community.

“How many U.S. bio-collaboration facilities are there around the world? How many biological samples did the United States take away under the agreement between the United States and Ukraine, and what are they used for? What is the sensitive information that Ukraine is not allowed to disclose under the agreement? Has the United States conducted any dangerous research outside the United States that is prohibited in their homeland?” Zhao said.

Moreover, as one of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) depository states, the United States, on the one hand, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the opening for signature of the BWC, and talked about strengthening the mechanism, while on the other hand, it stood alone in opposing the establishment of a multilateral BWC verification mechanism, Zhao said.

He said that, as a depository state of the BWC, the United States ought to be an example, not an exception.

“We once again urge the U.S. side to give comprehensive and detailed clarification of its bio-military activities and stop single-handedly opposing the establishment of a multilateral verification mechanism,” he said.