"We sincerely hope that all parties will focus on the fight itself, avoid any words or actions that politicize the epidemic, strengthen unity and work together to defeat the epidemic as soon as possible," the spokeswoman told a briefing.
The diplomat added that from the very outbreak of COVID-19, China put people's lives and health first and effectively carried out prevention and control measures mindful of the country's socioeconomic development.
In December, China announced that it was abandoning its zero-tolerance policy for COVID-19 and preparing to reopen its borders on January 8. The end of nearly three years of strict measures in a country of 1.4 billion people is feared to potentially lead to a massive spread of the disease across the globe.
Several countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Italy and Spain, have introduced restrictions on the entry of travelers from China after its relaxed domestic controls.
