Beijing, May 15: China has confirmed that it ordered unauthorised laboratories to destroy sample of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the early stage of the outbreak, South China Morning Post reported on Friday. According to the report, Liu Dengfeng, an official with the National Health Commission’s science and education department, said this was done to "prevent the risk to laboratory biological safety and prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens". China Reports 15 New Coronavirus Cases as Mass Testing Begins for 11 Million People in Wuhan.

The United States has repeatedly accused China of destroying early samples of coronavirus and withholding information about the outbreak. "Based on comprehensive research and expert opinion, we decided to temporarily manage the pathogen causing the pneumonia as Class II – highly pathogenic – and imposed biosafety requirements on sample collection, transport and experimental activities, as well as destroying the samples," Liu was quoted as saying. Trump Confirms Pulling Out US Pension Fund from China Investments.

The Chinese official said unauthorised labs were asked to destroy samples in view of the country's standard practice for handling highly pathogenic samples. Class II pathogens can be transmitted among humans or animals and cause serious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and smallpox, the report said. The outbreak of coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, has claimed over 3 lakh lives worldwide.

The US recently accused the Xi Jinping government of stealing COVID-19-related research from the US. In a scathing attack on Beijing, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late on Thursday tweeted that China, "the country where the virus originated and the pandemic was allowed to spread," has refused to share information to help the world combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Instead PRC-affiliated actors are trying to steal COVID-related research from the United States," he tweeted while warning the People's Republic of China "to cease this malicious activity." US President Donald Trump has said that he "could cut off the whole relationship" with China.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 15, 2020 08:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).