Chinese Communist Party media warned that the US may meet its “Waterloo” because it seeks to study whether or not the coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab — omitting any point out of Beijing’s concealment of details about the pandemic in its early months and stonewalling investigations of the virus’ origins.
“Washington is too arrogant to realize that its vicious accusations against China have become a political gamble for itself. It has staked too many bargaining chips on credit from international morality. It actually has no way to back down from this dangerous status,” the Global Times wrote in an op-ed on Sunday.
“The US could meet its Waterloo in this battle: It might lose its credibility by abusing its soft power,” it concluded.
Researchers working in a lab on the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province.Chinatopix through AP, File
The piece was written after President Biden introduced final week that he directed US intelligence businesses to take one other take a look at the theory that the lethal coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and gave them a 90-day deadline to report their findings.
Biden known as out China for hindering the investigations with its lack of transparency.
“Back in early 2020, when COVID-19 emerged, I called for the CDC to get access to China to learn about the virus so we could fight it more effectively. The failure to get our inspectors on the ground in those early months will always hamper any investigation into the origin of COVID-19,” Biden mentioned, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An electron microscope reveals the COVID-19 virus.NIAID-RML through AP, File
The Global Times mentioned the US is manipulating the origins of COVID and is “exposing to the world its four ‘Achilles heels.’”
The piece claimed that the US is disrespecting the sooner work of the World Health Organization, noting how the Trump administration pulled funding for the group.
The WHO mission was initially resisted by China and took months to barter — and Beijing has nonetheless refused to permit an unbiased investigation.
Joe Biden introduced that US intelligence would examine the theory that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab.AP Photo/Evan Vucci
The workforce arrived in Wuhan on Jan. 14 and following two weeks of quarantine, they visited key websites equivalent to hospitals, seafood markets and analysis amenities.
However, the investigators solely went on visits organized by their Chinese hosts and weren’t allowed to have contact with members of the group, allegedly on account of well being considerations.
Atlantic Council senior fellow Jamie Metzl, a former Biden staffer, instructed “60 Minutes” on CBS in March that the investigation that befell is akin to permitting the Soviet Union to research the Chernobyl nuclear accident, which additionally was lined up by native authorities.
Peter Daszak (proper), Thea Fischer (left) and different members of the World Health Organization workforce examine the origins of COVID-19 on the Wuhan Institute of Virology on Feb. 3, 2021.HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP through Getty Images
“It was agreed first that China would have veto power over who even got to be on the mission,” mentioned Metzl, who additionally labored on the White House National Security Council underneath President Bill Clinton.
“WHO agreed to that. On top of that, the WHO agreed that in most instances, China would do the primary investigation and then just share its findings with these international experts. So these international experts weren’t allowed to do their own primary investigation.”
Former President Donald Trump suspended the US’ contribution to WHO in April 2020, as a result of he mentioned the worldwide group was underneath the affect of the Chinese Communist authorities and was cooperating in overlaying up what occurred on the Wuhan lab.
“The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable. The WHO failed to investigate credible reports from sources in Wuhan that conflicted directly with the Chinese government’s official accounts,” Trump mentioned as he made the announcement.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the top of the WHO, forged doubt on its discovering that the virus didn’t start within the lab, saying China wants to improve its cooperation with investigators and extra examinations needs to be carried out.
“In my discussions with the team, they expressed the difficulties they encountered in accessing raw data,” Tedros mentioned. “I expect future collaborative studies to include more timely and comprehensive data-sharing.”
Director-general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivering a speech through the 74th World Health Assembly, on the WHO headquarters in Geneva, on May 24, 2021.CHRISTOPHER BLACK/World Health Organization/AFP through Getty Images
The theory that the virus originated on the Wuhan lab quite than by animal-to-human transmission at a Wuhan market gained traction when the Wall Street Journal reported in May that three staff on the lab turned so unwell, they needed to be hospitalized in November 2019.
The first experiences of the virus got here out of Wuhan the following month.
China has repeatedly refused to launch information referring to its work on the coronavirus and as a substitute has floated theories that the virus started in a US analysis facility in Maryland or in imported frozen meals packaging.
British intelligence businesses additionally gave credence to the Wuhan lab theory, saying it’s “feasible” that the virus leaked from the lab, the Sunday Times of London reported.
That report led UK’s Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi to press the WHO to research the lab’s connection.
“I think it’s really important that the WHO is allowed to conduct its investigation unencumbered into the origins of this pandemic and that we should leave no stone unturned to understand why — not only because of the current pandemic that has swept the world but also for future-proofing the world’s capability to deal with pandemics,” he instructed Sky News.
The Global Times piece additionally mentioned the CIA can’t be trusted due to its connection to the search for WMDs in Iraq when then-Secretary of State Colin Powell mentioned in 2003 that Saddam Hussein’s regime’s possession of the weapons constituted a risk to the US. No such weapons had been ever discovered.
“This time, the US intelligence agencies are coming out again but have lost their credibility at the very beginning of this race,” the newspaper mentioned.
