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Amber Wang

China has urged the United Nations to “properly address” Russian claims that the US is building a military biological programme in Ukraine – allegations that the United States has dismissed as misinformation.
At a UN Security Council meeting on Friday, Chinese ambassador Zhang Jun said the relevant parties should give comprehensive clarification, and accept multilateral verification.
“China has noted with concern relevant information released by Russia,” Zhang said, according to China’s permanent mission to the UN.
Zhang said Beijing looked forward to receiving more specific information on World Health Organization advice to the Ukrainian government to destroy pathogens located in laboratories to prevent the spread of disease.
Support for Russia on bioweapons claims is support for Ukraine attack: US
Russia first claimed on Monday that its forces had found evidence of Ukrainian attempts to eradicate traces of a military biological weapons programme in Ukraine financed by the US.
The US denies the allegations, with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby saying on Wednesday that the claims were “classic Russian propaganda”.
On Friday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, accused Russia of “attempting to use the Security Council to legitimise disinformation and deceive people to justify President [Vladimir] Putin’s war of choice against the Ukrainian people”.
“And China, too, has been spreading disinformation in support of Russia’s outrageous claims,” the US mission to the UN quoted Thomas-Greenfield as saying.
“Ukraine does not have a biological weapons programme. There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the United States – not near Russia’s border or anywhere.”
Zhang hit back, saying the US envoy had “made groundless accusations” against China.
“The US always says they advocate transparency. If they believe the relevant information is fake, they can just provide us with relevant data for clarification, so that the international community can draw a conclusion by itself,” he said.
Zhang also repeated China’s calls for talks between Moscow and Kyiv, saying the multiple rounds of direct dialogue so far had been positive steps towards peace.
UN dismisses Russian claim of Ukraine-US biological weapons programme
Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said “the Kyiv regime is urgently concealing traces of a military biological programme that [it] implemented with support of the US Department of Defence.”
He said the Russian Defence Ministry had “documents” confirming that Ukraine developed a network of at least 30 biological laboratories hosting extremely dangerous biological experiments, including studies into using migratory birds and bats to spread biological agents such as plague and coronaviruses.
“This work is funded and directly supervised by the Defence Threat Reduction Agency of the United States,” he said.
China is pushing its own Covid-19 lab leak theory in battle of narratives
China has also been calling for an investigation of US laboratories such as Fort Detrick, a military medical research base in Maryland, in its attempts to broaden the investigation into the origins of Covid-19.
On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said “the international community has long had grave concerns about US bio-military activities”.
China urged the US to give a clear account of its bio-military activities both at home and abroad and accept multilateral verification, he said.


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Ukraine war

China calls for verification of Russian claims of US bioweapons help to Ukraine

Ambassador Zhang Jun says China has noted with concern relevant information released by Russia. Photo: AFP

WHO advised Ukraine to destroy pathogens in labs to prevent ‘potential spills’

A protester in Germany, against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war has raised the risk of an escape of disease-causing pathogens from Ukraine’s labs. Photo: AFP

Ukraine bioweapons claim opens new front in China-US tensions

White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Photo: Reuters

UN dismisses Russian claim of Ukraine-US biological weapons programme

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks with  Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya before a UN Security Council emergency meeting in New York on Friday. Photo: AFP

News

China

Diplomacy


Beijing says all parties should give a thorough response to the claims that America is supporting bio-military programme in Ukraine
Washington says Moscow’s allegations are groundless propaganda



Beijing says all parties should give a thorough response to the claims that America is supporting bio-military programme in Ukraine.


Ukraine

US-Russia relations