The US Must Explain Activities on Ukrainian Biolabs - China

On Friday, Zhao Lijian, a Chinese spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said the U.S must clarify its bio-military activities in Ukrainian territory in the U.S.-funded Biolabs. The spokesperson said that Washington should quit its position on refusing the establishment of a multilateral verification mechanism for biological weapons.

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During the daily press briefing, Zhao commented on the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova's recent reiteration of Moscow's finding of documents and information on the bio-military plan implemented in Ukraine by the U.S. Department of Defense, in response to media questions. According to one of the reports participating in the daily briefing, the Kremlin has released some facts linked to the UN and other international organizations, requesting an explanation from the U.S. government.

The spokesperson highlighted the ambiguities and contradictions in U.S. statements about the bio-military activities conducted in Ukraine. He said China considers that the U.S. has failed to give credit information about the matter, aggravating the international community's concerns. "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?" said the spokesperson.

In its position as one of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) depository states, the U.S has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the BWC while talking about the strengthening of the mechanism; however, it has stood alone in rejecting the establishment of a multilateral BWC verification mechanism. Zhao said that as a depository state of the BWC, Washington has 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," told the spokesperson.