China on Wednesday accused the United States of being the true source of the Covid-19 virus in a newly released government white paper. The move follows the launch of a US government website last month asserting that a lab-related incident in Wuhan was the most likely cause of the global pandemic.
The war of words reignited after the White House unveiled a new Covid-19 website on April 18, stating: “A lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is the most likely origin of Covid-19 ” The page also criticizes former President Joe Biden, former top US health advisor Anthony Fauci, and the World Health Organization for alleged missteps in handling the early stages of the outbreak.
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In the document, Chinese officials allege that “substantial evidence” suggests COVID-19 could have emerged in the United States before being identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The White Paper slams US attempts to “shift the blame” and urges Washington to stop “pretending to be deaf and dumb.”
“The United States has been politicizing the matter of COVID-19 origins for years,” the white paper said. “Substantial evidence suggested the Covid-19 might have emerged in the United States earlier than its officially-claimed timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China.”
The Chinese government specifically cited a USD 24 billion lawsuit in Missouri, which accused China of hoarding personal protective equipment and covering up the outbreak.
Chinese officials argue that the US should now be the focus of global origin-tracing efforts. According to a statement from China’s National Health Commission, cited by state media Xinhua, “The next step in origin-tracing work should focus on the United States.”
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Despite years of inconclusive investigations, the CIA in January stated with “low confidence” that a lab origin of Covid-19 was more likely than a natural one, adding that both scenarios remain plausible. China, however, maintains the lab leak theory is “extremely unlikely.” Its white paper called on the US to provide transparent answers and stop obstructing global investigations.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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