China on Thursday (Feb 25) said it had never asked US diplomats to undergo COVID-19 anal swabs, following American media reports that State Department personnel had complained of being subjected to the intrusive test. But Beijing rebuffed reports from Vice and Washington Post - citing US officials - that State Department employees in China had been given the test "in error", despite diplomats being exempt from the procedure. "China has never requested US diplomatic personnel in China to undergo anal swabs," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing Thursday.