Photo taken on March 11, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"The United States should treat origins tracing as a 'scientific matter' and support scientists in various countries who are seeking answers on how the virus started," said Zeng Yixin, deputy head of China's National Health Commission.

A senior Chinese health official has rejected a U.S. report blaming China for stonewalling an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, Bloomberg News reported.

China opposes the politicization of tracing the origins of the virus or using the subject as a tool to shift blame, Zeng Yixin, deputy head of China's National Health Commission, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.

"The United States should treat origins tracing as a 'scientific matter' and support scientists in various countries who are seeking answers on how the virus started," Zeng said, reiterating that the Chinese government fully supports virus-tracing work based on open, transparent, scientific and cooperative principles.