Support Science, Reject Politics

新冠病毒溯源当忠于科学，远离政治干扰

Ambassador Zhang Ming, Head of Chinese Mission to the EU, Publishes an Op-Ed Article on Euractiv

驻欧盟使团团长张明大使在《欧盟动态》网站发表署名文章

27 August 2021

2021年8月27日

The rapid spread of Delta variant around the world makes it all the more necessary to understand the origin, transmission and evolution of COVID-19, so as to enhance mankind’s ability to respond to future major health emergencies. The thing is, however, there is a rising tendency to politicize origin tracing of the virus and use it as an instrument. As members of the global community, we should say no to this move as it undermines global cooperation in fighting the pandemic and impedes origin tracing itself.

当前，新冠变异病毒正在全球加速蔓延，给各国带来严峻挑战。面对不断升级的新冠病毒，有必要探索病毒的起源、传播及演变，提升人类未来应对突发重大疫情的能力。但近来，新冠病毒溯源问题的政治化、工具化倾向不断抬头，日益成为世界各国团结抗疫和病毒溯源本身的障碍，对此我们应该坚决说不。

China always supports and actively participates in tracing the origin of the virus and commits itself to contributing to mankind’s efforts in defeating the pandemic. In January last year, China reported the pandemic to WHO at the earliest time possible, shared the genome sequence of the virus and took the lead in cooperating with WHO to identify the origin of the virus. Over the past year or so, China has invited WHO experts to China twice for origin tracing. Early this year, authoritative experts from 10 countries, including the United States, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia, formed a joint expert team with their Chinese counterparts and conducted a 28-day joint study in China. During this period, they jointly analyzed data, conducted field trips, paid visits and had exchange of views to keep building science-based consensus. On 30 March, the China-WHO joint mission report was officially published. WHO and international experts participating in the joint study highly appreciated China’s openness and transparency.

中方始终支持并积极参加新冠病毒科学溯源，致力于为人类最终战胜疫情作出中国贡献。去年1月，中国第一时间向世卫组织报告疫情，第一时间分享病毒基因序列，率先同世卫组织开展病毒溯源研究合作。一年多来，中国两次邀请世卫组织专家来华开展溯源研究。今年年初，来自美国、丹麦、德国、荷兰、英国、日本、澳大利亚等10国的国际权威专家同中方专家组成联合专家组，在华开展了为期28天的联合研究，其间共同分析数据、共同实地考察、共同走访交流，不断凝聚科学共识。3月30日，中国—世卫组织联合研究报告正式发布。世卫组织以及参与联合研究工作的国际专家对中方在病毒溯源问题上展现的开放、透明态度予以充分肯定。

However, some politicians in certain countries are not satisfied with the scientific conclusions of the report, one of which is that the lab-leak of the virus is extremely unlikely. They ignored the common sense of science and went on to direct the intelligence service to report on COVID origins within 90 days. Having the intelligence service involved in origin trace is obviously not targeting the virus from the natural world, but making up misleading conclusions. With political manipulation, they have also been trying to coerce and pressure scientists into supporting the “lab-leak theory”. They even pushed the WHO Secretariat to propose the work plan on the second phase of origin tracing without the unanimous consent of member states, attempting to overturn and distort the joint study report. By politicizing origin tracing, their real purpose is not to identify the source of the virus, but to shift the blame and presume guilt on certain countries and races. Such practice not only goes against science-based origin tracing, but also neglects the lives of their people. Worse still, it has poisoned the atmosphere of global cooperation in fighting the pandemic. There is no shortage of such precedents in history.

然而，个别国家政客对上述报告中“新冠病毒由实验室泄漏‘极不可能’”等科学结论并不满意。他们不顾科学常识，居然要求情报部门在90天内拿出诱导性的溯源调查结论。动用情报力量开展“病毒溯源”，显而易见，针对的绝不是自然界的病毒。他们在挥舞政治黑手，试图通过胁迫、施压让科学家低头并转而支持“实验室泄漏论”。他们甚至怂恿世卫组织秘书处在没有征得成员国一致同意的情况下，单方面提出第二阶段溯源工作计划，企图推翻和歪曲中国—世卫组织联合研究报告。这种“政治溯源”的行径，真正目的并非是为了寻找病毒源头，而是为自己“甩锅”、给特定的国家或族群“定罪”。不仅有违科学溯源的初衷，也是对人类生命的漠视，更毒化了全球团结抗疫的氛围。这样的险恶行径在历史上是有先例的。

That’s why many countries, organizations and people of insight stand out, expressing their strong concern about and opposition to this malicious move. So far, more than 70 countries supported the China-WHO joint study report by writing letters to WHO Director-General, issuing statements or sending notes. Over 300 political parties, social organizations and think tanks from 100-plus countries and regions submitted a joint statement to the WHO Secretariat, calling for objective and impartial global origin tracing, and firmly opposing politicizing this issue.

许多国家、组织和有识之士对此表达了严重关切和反对。70多个国家通过致函世卫组织总干事、发表声明和照会等方式支持中国—世卫组织联合研究报告，100多个国家和地区300多个政党、社会组织和智库向世卫组织秘书处提交《联合声明》，呼吁世卫组织客观公正地开展全球新冠病毒溯源研究，坚决反对将溯源问题政治化。

Just last month, in a joint statement titled “Science, not speculation, is essential to determine how SARS-CoV-2 reached humans” published on The Lancet, 24 world-renowned medical experts affirmed that suggestions of a lab-leak source of the pandemic remain without scientifically validated evidence. On 25 August, 11 international experts from the China-WHO joint mission wrote an article on Nature, further explaining the reasons for the conclusions of their study and emphasizing the importance of global tracing along the most likely pathways based on data and evidence. There is a growing consensus among the scientific community that to find out how a pandemic started is a very complex process and to obtain objective and fair results, it must be left to scientists and subject to the laws of science.

上个月，24名国际知名医学专家在《柳叶刀》杂志发表《科学而非猜测对确定新冠病毒如何感染人类至关重要》的联合声明表示，目前没有科学证据支持“实验室泄漏论”。本月25日，中国—世卫组织新冠病毒溯源研究联合专家组的11名国际专家在《自然》杂志联名发表文章，进一步解释了其研究报告所得出结论的原因，并强调基于数据和实证、沿着最可能路径深入开展全球病毒溯源的重要性。科学界普遍认为，寻找大流行病的起源是一个非常复杂的过程，要取得客观公正的结果必须由科学家按照科学规律进行研究。

These rational voices by the global community should be heard and taken seriously. Future global origin tracing work should be based on the conclusions and recommendations in the China-WHO joint study report, which is widely recognized by the international and scientific community. The WHO Secretariat should consult with member states on the work plan and follow-up mechanism for global tracing work, and fully respect the views of member states, according to WHA resolutions. Origin tracing plan involving the country concerned should be determined after consultation, as it provides the basis for effective cooperation to be conducted. It’s especially important to note that origin tracing requires global cooperation, and no country should politicize this scientific issue for the sake of its own political agenda.

国际社会的这些正义呼声应得到重视和倾听。我们主张，在中国—世卫组织联合研究报告这一国际社会和科学界公认的结论和建议基础上，继续科学开展全球溯源工作。世卫组织秘书处应按照世卫大会决议要求，就全球溯源工作计划、后续机制等同成员国充分协商，充分尊重成员国意见，对当事国的溯源计划更应同当事国协商确定，在此基础上有效开展合作。尤其重要的是，病毒溯源需要凝聚全球合力，任何国家都不应为一己政治私利而将科学问题政治化。

Europe is the cradle of modern science. China is ready to work with the EU and its member states to follow a scientific attitude, support and participate in global cooperation on origin tracing, and maintain its scientific and serious nature. By doing so, we will contribute our share to mankind’s efforts in defeating the pandemic and building a global community of health for all.

欧洲是现代科学的摇篮，中国愿同欧盟及其成员国一道，秉持科学精神，支持和参与全球溯源合作，维护溯源研究的科学性和严肃性，为人类最终战胜疫情、构建人类卫生健康共同体作出不懈努力。