On March 9, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's responded to a question at a news conference on the United States’ laboratory at Fort Detrick.

As a RTE reporter said: "Chinese officials have called for an investigation into the laboratory in the United States at Fort Detrick, do you think research on dangerous pathogens at laboratories like this poses potential threats to public health and should laboratories like this around the world should be open to more external scrutiny? "

In reply, Zhao Lijian said: "We hope the relevant country will cooperate with the WHO on origin-tracing as China did. China has set a good example and we hope they will do the same."