China's Anti-Doping Agency says there has been no "cover up" of positive doping tests by the country's swimmers and that the results of its investigations will be released in line with regulations, the official Xinhua news agency has reported.

The article, published late on Thursday, comes after The Times newspaper in London reported claims by whistle-blowers that five positive tests, two believed to have been failed in October and the others at the turn of the year, were suppressed "to avoid a storm".

Xinhua quoted the deputy director of the Chinese anti-doping agency (CHINADA), Zhao Jian, as saying there was no "cover-up" and that it was following regulations.