US senator dared over COVID-19 vaccine comments

China on Monday challenged US Senator Rick Scott to show evidence supporting his accusation that Beijing is trying to slow down or sabotage the development of a COVID-19 vaccine by Western countries.

“Since this lawmaker said he has evidence that China is trying to sabotage Western countries in their vaccine development, then please let him present the evidence. There’s no need to be shy,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.

The Republican senator made the comments to BBC TV.

US President Donald Trump and other top officials in Washington have repeatedly criticized China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

China has always insisted it has been open and transparent about the outbreak.

Scott declined to give details of the evidence when asked during his interview on Sunday but said it had come through the intelligence community.

“China does not want us ... to do it first, they have decided to be an adversary to Americans and I think to democracy around the world,” he told the BBC.

Hua said that the development of a COVID-19 vaccine is not a bilateral competition and Beijing hopes the United States will mirror China’s pledge and offer any vaccine it develops to the world for free.

Hua also warned there has been “a lot of discrimination” against Chinese people in Australia.

“Many Chinese in Australia have been insulted or even injured ... (and) graffiti or words with racist connotations against Chinese have appeared in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other Australian cities.”

On Friday, China’s culture and tourism ministry had advised against travel to Australia due to increasing racism linked to the coronavirus.

The anti-discrimination commission in New South Wales — Australia’s most populous state — said last week that there had been an increase in inquiries related to the pandemic and racism against people of Asian backgrounds.

The group said instances included people being bullied for wearing a face mask, spat at and harassed in public on their way to work, while they exercised or at the supermarket.

Anti-Discrimination NSW said it had also heard from people who have experienced violent race-related acts like their car window being smashed and racist language written across cars and private property.