US Senator Hawley Tells China’s Xi to 'Come Clean' About Role in COVID-19 Origins

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Senator Josh Hawley on Friday urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to come clean about China’s alleged role in the genesis of the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, following Congress’ passage of legislation to declassify US intel on the matter.

Chinese Communist Party officials earlier wrote a letter to Hawley, the lead lawmaker on the legislation, condemning the bill and expressing concerns about claims that the novel coronavirus may have originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, US media reported earlier this week.

There is "not a chance" Hawley withdraws the bill, the lawmaker said in a statement on Thursday. The legislation has passed both the House and Senate, now awaiting final approval by US President Joe Biden.

"Today the US House of Representatives followed the Senate in unanimously adopting my bill to declassify US government intelligence on the origins of the COVID virus. I know you are keenly interested in this bill," Hawley said in his letter to Xi. "But the bill will soon be law – unless you can convince President [Joe] Biden to veto it. Time is up. Come clean about your role in spreading COVID to the world."

Those responsible for lying about what the US government knew about the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins will be held accountable as a result of the bill, Hawley also said in a statement on Friday.

Last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the agency believes that the novel coronavirus most likely came from a laboratory in Wuhan, although other US intelligence agencies have pointed to a market in the city instead.