Staff members unload vaccines donated by China at a Philippine Air Force base in Manila, the Philippines on Feb 28, 2021. (ROUELLE UMALI/XINHUA)

BEIJING - China on Friday said it hopes the United States will stop political manipulation on the issue of COVID-19 origins tracing and stop poisoning international cooperation against the pandemic.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks in response to reports that the US government is using vaccine aid as bait to coerce China's neighboring countries to participate in its campaign to smear China as the "source of the coronavirus" and drive a wedge between China and its neighbors.

Now, the United States is offering vaccines, but with a price tag, as media reports said, in exchange for support on the origins tracing issue, making vaccines a tool to coerce other countries into joining its anti-China alliance. If this is true, such behavior is immoral and irresponsible, which should be condemned.

Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswomen

The spokesperson said when China was overcoming difficulties to produce and provide anti-pandemic materials to countries in need, the United States was busy buying out and hoarding anti-pandemic materials all over the world.

"When China first announced and is taking a lead in implementing the pledge of making vaccines a global public good and has up to date provided more than 800 million doses of vaccines to the world, the United States has been practicing "America First" and "vaccine nationalism," she said.

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"Now, the United States is offering vaccines, but with a price tag, as media reports said, in exchange for support on the origins tracing issue, making vaccines a tool to coerce other countries into joining its anti-China alliance. If this is true, such behavior is immoral and irresponsible, which should be condemned," said Hua.

The world is still facing severe challenges from the pandemic and urgently needs unity and cooperation, she said, adding vaccines are a powerful weapon against the virus and bring the hope of saving lives, which should not be used as a tool for political manipulation.

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"We hope the United States will stop politicizing origins tracing, poisoning international cooperation and return to the right track of international anti-epidemic collaboration and origins tracing cooperation," the spokesperson said.