Fauci praises "qualified, highly respected Chinese scientists"

Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a hearing of Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee titled "The Path Forward: A Federal Perspective on the COVID-19 Response" in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 20, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/Pool via Xinhua)

Talking about the research Chinese scientists have conducted in an interview on Fox News, Fauci said "it was research that was highly recommended by peer review, our United States peer reviews. It got a very high score in the peer review system."

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci recently defended coronavirus research done by "qualified, highly respected Chinese scientists," saying "those scientists were very well-respected in the scientific community internationally."

Talking about the research Chinese scientists have conducted in an interview on Fox News, Fauci said "it was research that was highly recommended by peer review, our United States peer reviews. It got a very high score in the peer review system."

"The purpose of the research was very, very clear. It was to try to determine what was out there in the bat population that might be ultimately risky for us," said the infectious disease expert, noting that "it was research that was done by qualified people."