China says 'extremely unlikely' Covid pandemic came from lab leak

The CIA said on Jan 25 that Covid-19 was “more likely” leaked from a Chinese lab than transmitted by animals. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

BEIJING (AFP): China said Monday it was "extremely unlikely" Covid-19 came from a laboratory, after the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said it believed the virus had more likely come from a lab rather than natural transmission.

"The conclusion that a laboratory leak is extremely unlikely was reached by the China-WHO joint expert team based on field visits to relevant laboratories in Wuhan," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.