A nationalist tabloid controlled by the Chinese Communist Party has dismissed claims by the Trump administration that the novel coronavirus originated from a laboratory, because the war of words over the pandemic escalates between Washington and Beijing.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday during an interview with ABC that there was “enormous evidence” Covid-19 originated in a laboratory within the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak was first detected last December. He didn’t provide details to support the claim.

Responding to Pompeo’s comments, China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper said in an article Monday that the previous CIA director had “stunned the planet with groundless accusations.”

“Since Pompeo said his claims are supported by ‘enormous evidence,’ then he should present this so-called evidence to the world, and especially to the American public who he continually tries to fool,” the editorial said.

“The truth is that Pompeo does not have any evidence, and during Sunday’s interview, he was bluffing.”

CNN reached bent China’s foreign ministry to discuss Pompeo’s claims but received no response. The country is within the middle of a five-day holiday that runs through Tuesday.

Scientists round the world have condemned conspiracy theories suggesting that Covid-19 doesn’t have a natural origin, pointing to studies that suggest it originated in wildlife.

China has faced criticism reception and abroad over its handling of the virus, especially during the initial outbreak. It had been accused of silencing whistle-blowers and delaying in informing the general public about the severity of the crisis.

But critics allege Washington has ramped up efforts responsible China for the worldwide spread of the virus because it faces growing criticism reception for its own handling of the pandemic. To date, the US has recorded quite 1.1 million cases and a minimum of 67,000 Covid-19 related deaths.

Beijing has hit back with its own propaganda efforts, accusing the US of shifting blame and ignoring accusations of a deliberate coverup within the critical early stages.

Last Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang accused “American politicians” of telling lies about the pandemic.

“They have only one objective: to try to shirk responsibility for their own epidemic and prevention and control measures and divert public attention,” he said.

On April 30, China’s state-run press agency Xinhua posted an animated video featuring Lego-like figures that mocked the US response to the pandemic. it’s been viewed for 1.9 million times on Twitter.

On Monday, the worldwide Times editorial accused the White House of continuous to “engage in unprecedented propaganda warfare while trying to impede global efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“As the US presidential election campaigns are underway, the Trump administration has implemented a strategy designed to divert attention from the incompetence it has displayed in fighting the pandemic. It is clear that their goal is to blame China for the pandemic by pinpointing the country as the source of Covid-19,” it said.

So far, Chinese officials and state media have largely avoided directly naming Trump in its coverage of the spat. Instead, much of Beijing’s ire has been directed at Pompeo — and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who doesn’t hold any current position within the administration.

Last week, the state-run broadcaster CGTN accused Pompeo of turning “his back on humanity by spreading a political virus.” The Chinese Communist Party’s official mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, also said in an article that Pompeo’s rhetoric will deliver the US a “colossal moral deficit.”

On Sunday night, state broadcaster CCTV aired an article during its flagship evening newscast that lashed out at Bannon, calling him a “stubborn anti-China figure” with “zero moral integrity.”