World needs answer on US biolabs
chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2022-03-31 10:34
The recent revelation of US biological military activities in Ukraine has sparked widespread concerns, but it's just the tip of the iceberg in the US "biological military empire" across the world, according to Xinhua reports.
The US has 26 biolabs and other related facilities in Ukraine over which the Pentagon has complete command, as per official data. The US has 336 biological labs in 30 countries under its control.
Washington has invested over $200 million in these labs, whose research aims to create a mechanism for the covert transmission of deadly pathogens, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian at a daily briefing in early March.
All dangerous pathogens in Ukraine are by order stored in these labs, and all research activities are overseen by the US.
No information can be released to the public without the approval of the US.
Shrouded in secrecy, the extensive US biological military activities also pose serious threats to global health and stability.
The World Health Organization has suggested that Ukraine destroy high-threat pathogens stored in the country's laboratories to avert "any potential spills" that could cause the spread of disease, said Zhao.
Nonetheless, US politicians have remained obstinate, even dismissing the international community's concerns as disinformation.
Zhao said the international community has long had serious concerns over the US' biological military activities.
It is imperative for Washington to respond seriously to global concerns in an open, transparent and responsible manner, and give a full account of its biological military activities at home and abroad and subject itself to multilateral verification.
Video source: Xinhua and CCTV