China’s embassy in India accuses ‘certain individuals’ of prejudice in Covid-19 test kits row

Country stopped using rapid antibody tests from two Chinese companies after complaints about accuracy

Embassy says it is ‘deeply concerned’ about the decision, which it calls ‘unfair and irresponsible’

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A health worker takes a swab test at a Covid-19 testing centre in New Delhi. India stopped using test kits from two Chinese firms over accuracy concerns. Photo: AP

Published: 8:00pm, 28 Apr 2020Updated: 8:00pm, 28 Apr 2020

Beijing’s embassy in New Delhi has hit out at “certain individuals” for doubting the quality of Chinese-made Covid-19 test kits, claiming prejudice was at play.

The test kits row began last week when India stopped using the Chinese products due to accuracy concerns, and it threatened to overshadow a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers on the pandemic on Tuesday.

Government-funded body the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on April 21 suspended the use of rapid antibody test kits bought from two Chinese companies after complaints from several states that they were not accurate. The ICMR’s top scientist said the test kits had shown wide variation, with accuracy in the range of 6 to 71 per cent.

The Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday said it was “deeply concerned” about the ICMR’s decision.

“It is unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as ‘faulty’ and look at issues with pre-emptive prejudice,” embassy spokeswoman Ji Rong said in a statement, without specifying which individuals.

She said the kits met China’s quality standards, and that the rapid antibody tests were “only to be used for surveillance purposes”, rather than diagnosing or confirming cases of Covid-19.

The embassy had been in contact with the two companies in southern China that produced the test kits, Wondfo Biotech in Guangzhou and Livzon Diagnostics in Zhuhai, the statement said.