On July 22, the South African Communist Party issued a statement on Orgin-tracing of COVID-19, denouncing politicisation of scientific research on virus origin and source tracing. The content is as follows:

The world should commend the role of scientists from China and 10 other countries under the leadership of the WHO in undertaking the research on the scientific field of COVID-19 origin or source tracing. China has particularly been open to the scientific endeavour, contrary to the propaganda spread by the Western imperialist media. The report was published in March 2021. The role of scientific collaboration is crucial, as the COVID-19 origin or source tracing is essentially about science.

The SACP rejects with contempt moves to politicise scientific research in the interests of imperialist global agendas. In this era of pandemics, scientific collaboration across our globe is critical for progress and for the protection of human society. Scientific field of origin or source tracing of viruses is a critical instrument in the campaign against their spread.

The scientific findings include the recognition that there are indications that COVID-19 cases took place before December 2019 in various places across the globe. The report findings and recommendations have recently been subjected to political rejection by the United States, as part of its obvious campaign to vilify China.

Virus origin or source tracing is scientific undertaking. The SACP denounces attempts at politicising scientific research. A part of the attempts involves geographic location naming of viruses or attacks against scientific research because of the countries involved in it. The international community should look at the issue of virus origin or source tracing in a science-based, objective and fair manner, conducted with intellectual rigour, in the interest of advancing global anti-pandemic co-operation.