In an official paper released by Beijing on Wednesday (April 30), Chinese authorities have suggested that not only did the virus claim the lives of approximately 1.2 million Americans, but it also took around 7 million lives globally and, according to them, originated in the US.

The document emerges amidst heightened tensions following a trade war between the two superpowers, which saw tariffs skyrocket to about 125%, reports the Daily Star.

In the report, Chinese officials wrote: "The US government, instead of facing squarely its failure in response to Covid-19 and reflecting on its shortcomings, has tried to shift the blame and divert people's attention by shamelessly politicising SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing.

"A thorough and in-depth investigation into the origins of the virus should be conducted in the United States. The United States should respond to the reasonable concern of the international community, and give a responsible answer to the world."

The report continues: "Substantial evidence suggested the COVID-19 might have emerged in the United States earlier than its officially-claimed timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China."

On the other hand, both the CIA and FBI have indicated that evidence suggests the Wuhan lab as the origin of the virus. Initially, this theory was dismissed due to perceived racist implications but has since gained traction following Trump's second term in office.

However, the prevailing hypothesis maintains that the coronavirus infiltrated the human population after circulating among various animal hosts.

In a sharp retort, the Chinese government admonished the US, warning them against continuing to "pretend to be deaf and dumb," as it could potentially harm the international community.

In early April, the White House unveiled a new Covid website which included an official statement suggesting that the coronavirus had escaped from the WIV labs, while simultaneously criticising former President Joe Biden and leading infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci.

The Chinese government asserted in its white paper that in January 2020, "the US was aware that an epidemic of a novel coronavirus was spreading quickly within its borders' and chose to 'downplay the severity of the epidemic... [on] multiple occasions compared Covid-19 to the flu, saying that it would disappear automatically one day.

"The US has made China the primary scapegoat for its own mismanaged Covid-19 response. The US government's indifference and delayed actions wasted the precious time China had secured for the global fight against the pandemic."