China’s foreign ministry on Monday objected to the expression “Wuhan coronavirus” — saying the name will “stigmatize” the country — following remarks from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The objection marks the latest from Beijing leaders and the country’s state-controlled media, which have gone as far as to claim that the coronavirus outbreak, which was first reported in the central province of Hubei, may not have started in China at all…

“Despite the fact that the WHO has officially named this novel type of coronavirus, (a) certain American politician, disrespecting science and the WHO decision, jumped at the first chance to stigmatize China and Wuhan with it. We condemn this despicable practice,” said Geng Shuang, a ministry spokesperson. He was commenting on Pompeo’s use of the term “Wuhan coronavirus.”