Beijing has released a new white paper alleging America's responsibility for the global spread of Covid-19, escalating tensions between the two nations over the pandemic's origins.
According to Daily Mail Online, China's State Council Information Office published a document Wednesday suggesting the virus that claimed 1.2 million American lives and at least 7 million deaths worldwide may have originated in the United States rather than China.
The white paper appears to counter renewed claims from the Trump administration that the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Chinese officials argue that substantial evidence points to earlier Covid-19 cases in America than officially reported, though these claims remain unsubstantiated.
China challenges US pandemic timeline
The Chinese government's report alleges that the United States was aware of the novel coronavirus spreading within its borders in January 2020 but chose to downplay the severity. They claim American officials repeatedly compared Covid-19 to the flu and suggested it would disappear naturally.
The document cites a U.S. CDC study of 7,389 blood samples collected across nine states between December 2019 and January 2020, where 106 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. However, experts note that antibody tests can cross-react with other coronaviruses and only confirm exposure, not active infection.
China's State Council argues that the U.S. government's delayed response wasted crucial time that China had secured for fighting the global pandemic. The report specifically criticizes America's handling of early outbreak information sharing with the World Health Organization.
Intelligence agencies support lab leak theory
Both the CIA and FBI maintain that available evidence points to the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the likely source of the virus. This assessment comes after the lab leak theory was initially dismissed as conspiracy thinking in early 2020.
The Chinese document alleges that the United States recorded approximately 1,500 serious laboratory incidents involving dangerous pathogens like SARS, MERS, and Ebola. However, records show only 11 were major incidents, with 15 laboratory-acquired infections and three unintended animal infections.
China's State Council argues these lab safety concerns warrant investigation of U.S. facilities. They assert America should address the international community's questions rather than attempting to shift blame.
Ongoing debate over virus origins
Many virologists and epidemiologists continue supporting the theory that the coronavirus emerged naturally through animal-to-human transmission. This remains a point of scientific discussion despite government intelligence assessments.
The white paper's release coincides with the White House launching a new Covid-19 website. The official U.S. position maintains that the virus escaped from Wuhan labs while criticizing previous pandemic responses under Biden administration officials. Initial virus sequences conducted by China's CDC originated from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital patients and Huanan Seafood Market workers, though Chinese officials now suggest examining earlier U.S. cases.
Current state of pandemic investigation
The controversy over Covid-19's origins has intensified diplomatic tensions between China and the United States. Beijing released this white paper as a direct rebuttal to the Trump administration's renewed focus on the Wuhan lab leak theory.
China's government continues defending against allegations of a lab leak that have persisted for years. Their latest report demands the U.S. cease "shifting blame and evading responsibility" while calling for a thorough investigation of potential early American cases.
The white paper challenges the global understanding of the pandemic's timeline, though many of its claims about U.S. cases lack definitive proof. As both nations trade accusations, the true origins of Covid-19 remain a source of ongoing scientific study and geopolitical debate.
