The US envoy to China has called on the country to be "more honest" about the origins

of the Covid-19 virus.

His comments come a day after US media reported that a federal agency had found the
pandemic probably started from a laboratory leak in Wuhan.

The Department of Energy reportedly concluded with "low confidence" that the virus was
accidentally leaked.

China's foreign ministry hit back, saying Covid's origin "was about science and should not be
politicised".

Washington-Beijing ties have been under strain since the US shot down an alleged Chinese
spy balloon this month.

Ambassador Nicholas Burns told a US Chamber of Commerce event on Monday that China
needs to "be more honest about what happened three years ago in Wuhan with the origin of
the Covid-19 crisis".

The energy department had formerly said it was undecided on how the virus began.

Other US agencies have drawn differing conclusions, with varying degrees of confidence in
their findings. The FBI in 2021 concluded with "moderate confidence" that the virus leaked
from a lab.

Other studies suggest it made the leap from animals to humans at Wuhan's Huanan seafood
and wildlife market.

 Covid origin studies say evidence points to market

An unclassified report released by the US top spy official in October 2021 said that four US
intelligence agencies had assessed with "low confidence" that it had originated with an
infected animal or a related virus.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Monday there was still no firm
finding either way.

"There has not been a definitive conclusion and consensus in the US government on the
origins of the Covid-19 pandemic," he told reporters when asked about the energy
department's reported determination.

A spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry on Monday again rejected the lab leak theory.

Mao Ning called on US investigators to "stop smearing China and stop politicising origins-
tracing".

After it was reported that the US energy department had settled on the lab leak theory,
Republican Senator Tom Cotton tweeted "being proven right doesn't matter". 
"What matters is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn't happen
again."

Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton told CNN he was "not entirely
surprised" by the energy department's reported conclusion.

"The Chinese have mishandled Covid at every step of the way, [and] are trying to sweep it
under the rug," he said.