Covid debate resumes between China and U.S.

Bustle in Beijing as China Responds to US Covid-19 Claims

China's government is firing back at allegations from the US, reaffirming its stance that the Covid-19 pandemic could have originated elsewhere, possibly in the United States. This rebuttal came after the White House recreated its COVID-19 website to highlight the lab-leak theory, claiming the virus might have originated from a lab in Wuhan, China.

The revamped website, reminiscent of a suspenseful movie trailer starring Donald Trump, serves as a replacement for the official Covid.gov site. This new platform critically addresses figures like President Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci, and the World Health Organization.

In a white paper published by China's state-run Xinhua news agency, Beijing emphasizes that the US is guilty of politicizing the entire Covid-19 origins narrative. The paper cites a lawsuit in Missouri that resulted in a massive $24-billion ruling against China, alleging the hoarding of protective medical equipment and cover-ups during the initial outbreak.

Contrary to these accusations, China claims it shared essential information with the World Health Organization and the international community in a timely and transparent manner. The white paper notes that a joint study by the WHO and China concluded that a lab leak was "extremely unlikely."

The US, according to the white paper, should confront the legitimate concerns of the international community and stop ignoring the evidence that points towards a possible US origin of Covid-19.

Interestingly, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has never suggested a lab leak in the United States as the cause of the pandemic. In January, the CIA stated that it had "low confidence" in its assessment that the pandemic was more likely to have emerged from a lab in China, rather than naturally[2]. To be clear, the CIA has not pointed the finger at a US lab as a possible origin.

Shrugging off the CIA's findings, China's National Health Commission official has suggested focusing on the US for further origin-tracing work[3]. This shift in focus is based on the "substantial evidence" that hints at a potential early appearance of COVID-19 in the United States[4].

The white paper published by China's state-run Xinhua news agency likely criticizes the US for politicizing the Covid-19 origins narrative, citing a lawsuit in Missouri that resulted in a $24-billion ruling against China.
Contrary to the claims made in the white paper, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has never suggested a lab leak in the United States as the cause of the pandemic.
Interestingly, despite the CIA's findings, China's National Health Commission official has suggested focusing on the US for further origin-tracing work, based on "substantial evidence" that hints at a potential early appearance of COVID-19 in the United States.
General news outlets are reporting an increased focus on the politics and policy-and-legislation surrounding the Covid-19 origins issue, with war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice sections also covering the ongoing debates and assessments.
As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing pandemic, issues of policy, politics, and the origin of the Covid-19 virus are likely to persist as focal points in general news, as well as in war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and other relevant sections.