More Asian countries are voicing their opposition to efforts by some outside the region to politicize studies into the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19. And influential figures in those countries have joined in the condemnation, while also calling for stepped-up efforts against the pandemic.

There should be no politicizing of the issue, Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said in a statement last week. The ministry said scientific and evidence-based methods must be used in the efforts to trace the origins of the virus.

"Multilateralism and international cooperation provide the best possible means to effectively and sustainably defeat the pandemic," it said. "It is equally important to conduct a comprehensive, inclusive, and impartial study on the origin of the virus."