BEIJING – China has denied that it required the United States (US) diplomats to undergo anal swab tests for coronavirus disease 2019.
US media reported that diplomats had complained after being made to undergo the procedure.
Some Chinese cities have introduced anal swabs, with experts there claiming they can “increase the detection rate of infected people”.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian denied the claims on Thursday, telling a press conference that “China has never required US diplomatic staff stationed in China to conduct anal swab tests”.
Last week, the Washington Post reported that some workers had told the US state department they had been subjected to the tests.(BBC)
