Staff Reports
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the US Department of Energy concluded that the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus was triggered by a leak in a Chinese laboratory. China's Foreign Ministry called the report a fabrication and claimed that it was politically motivated.
According to China's official news agency, the coronavirus pandemic was triggered by a laboratory breach at the US Army's Fort Detrick in Maryland. Washington then concealed its spread by using a false diagnosis of lung damage caused by electronic cigarettes.
The changes in the leadership of the Communist Party may be reflected in the way the organization handles diplomacy. For instance, Zhao Lijian, who was the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, was removed from his position in January and replaced by Mao Ning. Although the Fort Detrick theory had been brought up in her statements, Mao did not mention it in her new role.
When asked about the report by the US Department of Energy regarding the Wuhan outbreak, Mao said that the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus should not be politicized. She also noted that China supports the international effort in tracing the origins of the disease.
A joint mission of China and the World Health Organization conducted a scientific analysis of the Wuhan outbreak and concluded that it was unlikely that the virus came from a laboratory.
She noted that the report by the joint mission had been highly commended by the international community.
In January 2021, a fact sheet released by the US State Department stated that the Washington had reason to believe that a number of employees at the plant had been infected with the virus. It was one of the most prominent statements by the US government regarding the outbreak.
The fact sheet, which was removed from the State Department's website following the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, stated that the US had reason to suspect that some individuals at the facility were sick before the first case of the epidemic was reported. It also noted that the symptoms of the disease were consistent with seasonal and common illnesses. Mao concluded that political parties should stop using the outbreak as a basis for criticizing China and repeating the "lab leak" narrative.
The laboratory where the virus was created, known as the Wuhan Institute of Virology, is located in Wuhan. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the Department of Energy concluded that the outbreak was most likely triggered by a leak in the facility. However, it noted that the government's efforts to prevent the access to the WIV and the destruction of important evidence affected the agency's judgment.
A report in the Wall Street Journal stated that the Energy Department and the FBI believe that the outbreak might have started in China after an accident at a facility. Multiple agencies also still believe that the disease might have been caused by a natural transmission.
According to individuals who have examined the classified study conducted by the Energy Department, they did not have confidence in the agency's conclusions.
The fact sheet released by the State Department in January 2021 was one of the most prominent public statements made by the US government regarding the investigation into the outbreak. It noted that the Washington had reason to suspect that a number of workers at the plant had been infected.
The fact sheet, which was removed from the State Department's website following the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, stated that the US had reason to suspect that some individuals at the facility were sick before the first case of the epidemic was reported. It noted that the symptoms of the disease were consistent with the Wuhan coronavirus.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Bearded Patriot
