He stressed that Beijing is not opposed to COVID-19 origin tracing and has maintained that such a process must be guided by science and objectivity.

China is right by insisting the probe should be global as evidence emerged that the virus could have been circulating in other countries long before it was detected in the world's second largest economy, Biegon said.

He noted that restricting the virus origin probe in China will be counterproductive at a time when global solidarity is required to fight the pandemic through greater access to vaccines.

"In fact the more the world engages in back and forth over what might have given rise to the virus, many more lives are being put in danger," said Biegon.

He questioned the motivation behind the call for a fresh probe into the virus origin in China, alluding to geopolitics while stressing the need for science to take center stage in the whole debate.