Politicizing the COVID-19 origin-tracing undermines global cooperation, affects the global fight against the pandemic, and will lead to more life losses, which is extremely immoral, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said on Friday.

Yang Tao, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organizations and Conferences, made the remarks at a press briefing to foreign diplomats on the WHO-China joint study.

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Certain countries cannot wait to cajole other countries to sign a so-called joint statement to oppose the report, although the WHO-China mission's final report has not been released yet, Yang said.

COVID-19 origin-tracing work should not only focus on a particular location or certain time; rather, there should be a global perspective with priorities and plans, an expert said on Friday at a press briefing for foreign diplomats on the WHO-China joint study

COVID-19 origin-tracing work should not only focus on a particular location or certain time; rather, there should be a global perspective with priorities and plans, an expert said on Friday at the press briefing.

Identifying the origins of the novel coronavirus is a complicated scientific endeavor that requires long-term and sustained efforts, orderly and efficient work, and global cooperation, said Feng Zijian, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The Chinese government had already asked relevant experts to carry out COVID-19 origin tracing last January, according to Feng.

Given that COVID-19 is a newly emerged virus, it is important to find out where it came from and the route of its introduction to the human population, he said.