The conclusion that the coronavirus is "extremely unlikely" to have leaked from a Chinese lab is an authoritative scientific judgment and forms the basis of China's stance on origins tracing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.
The comments, made at a press conference in Beijing, came shortly after China released a white paper titled "COVID-19 Prevention, Control, and Origins Tracing: China's Actions and Stance."
In response to a foreign media query regarding the document, Guo said, "China has repeatedly articulated its position on the issue of COVID-19 origins tracing. This is a scientific matter, and any judgment on it must be made in a science-based spirit and by scientists. 'A lab leak is extremely unlikely'—this is the authoritative conclusion reached by experts based on science following their field trips to the specific lab and in-depth communication with researchers. This conclusion has been widely acknowledged by the international community, including the scientific community, and serves as the scientific foundation for China's position."
China holds science-based stance on COVID-19 origins tracing: spokesman
Protests against federal immigration enforcement are spreading across the United States, with the latest demonstration unfolding directly in front of the White House.
Early Saturday, more than a hundred demonstrators gathered there, demanding changes to the Trump administration's immigration policies and accountability for recent shootings involving federal agents.
Immigrant rights and civil rights groups said this weekend's rallies mark a coordinated national response. Demonstrations are planned or already underway in major cities including Philadelphia, as well as across states such as North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C., where organizers are calling for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be removed from local communities.
The nationwide protests follow a deadly week in which three people were shot by federal agents in two days.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was killed during an enforcement operation by the ICE. A day later in Portland, Oregon, a man and a woman were wounded during a separate federal operation.
In the aftermath, Minnesota state officials accused the Trump administration of blocking their investigation by denying access to key evidence and prematurely drawing conclusions before a full review could be completed.
On Friday, Donald Trump defended the Department of Homeland Security's actions, sharply criticizing Minnesota leaders and calling them corrupt.
Local leaders have pushed back. During a Saturday news conference, the mayor of Minneapolis described ICE agents' actions as reckless.
Officials in both Minneapolis and Portland continue urging demonstrators to remain peaceful as protests intensify nationwide.
According to a 50501 Movement statement issued Friday, at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.
Nationwide protests erupt in US after ICE shootings
