The U.S. State Department told the Chinese government on Thursday (Feb. 25) that it “wrongly” subjected U.S. diplomats to anal testing (anal swab testing) for the new coronavirus (COVID-19, a Chinese Communist virus) and promised not to subject U.S. diplomats to such testing in the future.
Some U.S. diplomats in China complained to the U.S. government last week that they had to submit to such invasive testing at the behest of Chinese Communist Party officials, who claim that the test is more effective than nasal or throat testing methods.
“The State Department never agreed to this testing, and when we learned that some staff members were going to be subjected to this testing, we protested directly to the (Chinese) Foreign Ministry.” A State Department spokesman said in an email.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry subsequently assured the U.S. that diplomats were exempt from the test and described the previous incident requiring anal exams for U.S. diplomats as a “mistake.
A State Department spokesman said the department is “committed to ensuring the safety and security of U.S. diplomats and their families, while maintaining their dignity.
“We have instructed our staff that if they are asked to take this test, they can refuse.” The spokesman said.
It is not known how many U.S. diplomats have undergone the test.
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian denied at a regular news conference Thursday that China had asked U.S. personnel to take the anal test.
The method of anal testing was first introduced in Beijing and later extended to Hebei, Shandong and Liaoning provinces.
Communist media are touting the test, citing medical experts who say traces of the virus may remain in stool samples longer than in the respiratory tract, making it more effective in detecting infection.
But the process, which sometimes requires dropping one’s pants in front of a crowd, has drawn resistance from Chinese citizens and foreign tourists.
The Korean media Wowkorea reported that a Korean traveler who flew into Beijing in early January and was then sent to a designated hotel for quarantine was informed upon arrival that an anal swab test was mandatory and that the anal examiner required “everyone to take off their pants and underwear” and “women and children too. No exceptions, all of them took off. The traveler was so stunned that he immediately sought help from the embassy after reacting, and was finally tested for the virus in the form of a stool sample.
The response of the Chinese Communist Party media to the uncooperative Korean tourist was, “China is not a place for you to do whatever you want.
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