15 September 2020 09:06 am
The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka yesterday slammed allegations by Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan who has claimed that the novel coronavirus which has so far claimed hundreds of thousands of lives world over, was made in a government-controlled laboratory in Wuhan and asserted that she has scientific proof to back the claim.
The scientist who was working in Hong Kong claimed that she discovered a cover-up operation during her investigation and said that the Chinese government knew about the spread of the virus before publicly acknowledging it.
Dr Li-Meng, who specialised in virology and immunology at the Hong Kong School of Public Health, was allegedly forced to flee to the United States over safety concerns.
A Spokesperson for the Embassy in Colombo told the Daily Mirror that it was very clear that the virologist was used as a 'Western propaganda puppet', only for blaming China to cover up the US' failures in the fight against the coronavirus and Dr. Li-meng Yan had broadcast her allegations without basic cross-checking.
"As early as July 11, immediately after Fox News interviewed Dr. Li-meng Yan and broadcast her allegation without basic cross-checking, the Hong Kong University, a leading independent academy in Asia, had issued an official statement claiming that 'HKU notes that the content of the said news report does not accord with the key facts as we understand them'," the spokesperson said.
“We further observe that what she might have emphasised in the reported interview has no scientific basis but resembles hearsay.” HKU also clarified that Yan had not conducted any research on that topic at the university from December to January," the Spokesperson added.
The Embassy further went on to say that Dr. Yan had apparently made another 'dubious and absurd claim' of fleeing Hong Kong, while no Hongkonger is barred from traveling to the US and said her allegations had all come in front of the camera, without any proof. (JAMILA HUSAIN)