Yuan Zheng, Deputy Director of the American Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Zhou Fangyin, Senior Researcher of Guangdong Institute of International Strategy

■ Su Xiaohui, Deputy Director of the American Institute of the Chinese Academy of International Studies

Recently, the US government has made an effort to trace the origin of COVID-19. On May 26, the President of the United States issued a statement saying that the intelligence agency had been instructed to investigate the origin of COVID-19, confirm whether the virus leaked from the laboratory, and report to him within 90 days. Under the guidance of the so-called conspiracy theory of "COVID-19 leaked from Chinese laboratories" proposed by the US government, politicians and media in some western countries frequently splashed dirty water on China on the issue of "virus traceability" with rhythm. The Wall Street Journal quoted the so-called "intelligence report" in its report that three researchers of Wuhan Virus Research Institute fell ill and were hospitalized in November 2019. According to the report, China was investigated.

What is the intention of the United States to hype the problem of "virus traceability" again? Why does the United States turn a blind eye to the suspicion of virus leakage in its own country? With the current global epidemic situation still very serious, what should the United States do more than "virus traceability"? This report invited three experts to discuss.

　　

What's the plan for further speculation of "virus traceability"?

In an interview with the Russian satellite news agency, Xie Mianov, president of the Russian Yekaterinburg Scientific Research Institute of Virus Infection, said that the assumption that the United States endlessly accused the COVID-19 originated from a Chinese laboratory was groundless, However, it is totally unexpected that the United States once again imposed charges on China: "The epidemic process of COVID-19 involves many political factors... The previous U.S. government has always been hostile to China. It seems that the current U.S. government is no different from its predecessor on the origin of COVID-19."

The Financial Times reported and analyzed that the Biden government mentioned the "laboratory leak" again, saying that one of the important reasons is that under domestic political pressure, it needs to show a tough stance on China related issues, and the information currently available to the US intelligence agencies simply cannot support them to draw any definitive conclusions.

Yuan Zheng: The United States took the opportunity of the World Health Assembly to raise the issue of "virus traceability" again, which to some extent represents the opinion tendency of American domestic politics. Some politicians and some people in the United States are more active on anti China issues, and the strong and hard attitude of the United States government towards China adds points to its domestic political performance. In addition, the US hyped the issue of "virus traceability", which has a certain role in promoting its partnership with allies. The United States hopes to achieve unity within its allies, strengthen interest ties between allies and deepen ties between allies by targeting China on "virus traceability". It is worth noting that the United States has forced China to take a relatively defensive stance to respond by taking the initiative in the issue of "virus traceability", increasing the weight of the United States in the game with China, which is also one of the deep reasons for the United States to hype this issue. In a word, the US government's hype about "virus traceability" has obvious political motives. Whether for domestic political considerations or for the purpose of strengthening cooperation with allies, the US is unwilling to give up the card of "virus traceability" and attempts to use it to put pressure on China.

Su Xiaohui: The United States chose to hype the problem of "virus traceability" again in this period, which is the result of the dual factors at home and abroad. On the domestic side, although the anti epidemic efforts of the U.S. government have achieved some results, and the number of newly confirmed cases in the United States has gradually decreased, the American people's aversion to the epidemic, dissatisfaction with the current government, and anti China sentiment of some people are still growing. For example, some Trump supporters are superstitious about "anti intellectualism", and frequently publish irrational statements such as "the epidemic is related to China". The Biden government chose to target China in order to appease the feelings of all parties in the country and divert people's attention, which is a political choice made for domestic political considerations. Internationally, the Biden government has recently carried out frequent diplomatic activities, attempting to form an anti China front with Europe and other allies by taking advantage of China related issues such as "virus traceability", so as to consolidate relations with allies while isolating China.

Zhou Fangyin: At this time, the United States is hyping the issue of "virus traceability". On the one hand, it hopes to discredit China through the "laboratory leakage theory", offset China's performance in domestic epidemic prevention and control in the international community, and make contributions to vaccine research and development, production, vaccination and assistance, as well as to global anti epidemic cooperation. On the other hand, the current U.S. government hopes to improve the global image of the United States, rebuild world leadership, and regard China as its main competitor. On the issue of "virus traceability", the White House discredited China with a groundless conspiracy theory, muddled the political climate of global anti epidemic cooperation, and tried to achieve the effect of rapidly improving the leadership of the United States by suppressing China.

Why turn a blind eye to domestic doubts?

The United States has many doubts about the traceability of COVID-19. The Detrick Fort Biological Base in the United States, which was called the "darkest experimental center" of the United States government by the American media, is full of doubts. The relationship between the 2019 autumn pandemic influenza in the United States and the COVID-19 epidemic has not yet been finalized. The purpose of the United States to set up more than 200 biological laboratories overseas is suspicious.

According to the New York Times and other media reports, in July 2019, the Detrick Fort Biological Base was asked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States to suspend the research work on highly pathogenic pathogens, because "there is not enough effective system to purify the wastewater discharged from this laboratory of the highest security level". However, the CDC refused to release other information on the grounds of "national security". Almost at the same time, a respiratory disease broke out in a retired community in Virginia, 54 people had fever, cough, general weakness and other symptoms, and 2 people died. At that time, public opinion suspected that there was a virus leak in the laboratory.

Zhou Fangyin: While exaggerating the "laboratory leak theory" against China, the United States turns a blind eye to the suspected virus leak in its own country, which is a typical "double standard". The United States, while hyping that "COVID-19 was leaked by the Wuhan Virus Research Institute", is playing dumb on its own problems that also have doubts about virus leakage, such as the Detrick Fort Biological Base. If the United States really believes that COVID-19 is likely to leak from the laboratory in a fair, scientific, open and transparent manner, then the United States should "level the playing field" internationally, and conduct scientific investigations on suspicious places, including the Fort Detrick Biological Base. If the United States wants to be blameless on its hyped "virus traceability", it should immediately carry out traceability research cooperation with WHO in a scientific manner, so as to better "prove innocence". However, the United States does not want the problem of "virus traceability" to affect its own country, which further reveals its real intention to use the problem of "virus traceability" to put pressure on China.

Virus traceability is a scientific issue. Scientific matters should be judged by the scientific community. Serious scientific traceability should be an international investigation conducted by an authoritative international organization, such as WHO, which is comprehensive, transparent, and evidence-based. The US attempts to use intelligence forces to conduct so-called "investigations", which is a contempt for the academic and professional nature of scientific research institutions. Some experts of WHO are also very dissatisfied with this. The United States does not pay attention to science on scientific issues, violates the basic consensus that "virus traceability should be carried out by a third-party agency independently through scientific investigation", and exposes its political purpose of hyping "virus traceability".

Yuan Zheng: China was the first country to report the COVID-19 epidemic to WHO, but the origin of the virus has not yet been determined. Is there any country that has found new coronavirus before China reported the epidemic? Is there any country that conceals the first discovery of COVID-19? In July 2019, an unknown respiratory disease occurred in northern Virginia, and a large-scale outbreak of "e-tobacco disease" occurred in Wisconsin. Is there any case related to COVID-19? If we trace the origin of COVID-19, these issues are worth discussing. We should not only focus on China, but also conduct scientific investigations on countries with signs of virus prevalence such as the United States. This is what scientific traceability should look like. China has always stressed that virus traceability is a scientific issue rather than a political tool. It should be carried out by global scientists, rather than intelligence personnel or politicians.

Su Xiaohui: In March this year, the China WHO joint research report on the traceability of COVID-19 officially released by WHO has clarified that COVID-19 is "extremely unlikely" to be transmitted through the laboratory. At this time, the United States continues to pester the so-called "investigation", in order to make a presumption of guilt against China on the issue of virus traceability. The United States exerts pressure on WHO and draws its allies to stand in line. Its purpose of anti China through the issue of "virus traceability" is clear. Although the international community generally believes that science cannot be kidnapped politically, it cannot be ruled out that a few countries, for their own political interests, under the instigation of the United States, attack China on the issue of "virus traceability" and concoct some anti science issues such as "laboratory leakage theory" to achieve their political purpose of exerting pressure on China. For example, the United Kingdom, Australia and other US allies have shown a tendency to merge with the United States on this issue, which is a dangerous trend.

What should the United States do to fight the global epidemic?

At the beginning of the outbreak, the Lancet, an international authoritative medical journal, published a joint statement signed by 27 top global scientists in the field of public health, strongly condemning the conspiracy theory about COVID-19. The statement warned that conspiracy theory has no other use than to create panic, rumors, prejudice and undermine the global efforts to fight against the epidemic. A recent article in the British journal Nature pointed out that the US's efforts to promote the theory of "laboratory leakage" are disturbing and may hinder the work of virus traceability. These toxic comments have also exacerbated online bullying of scientists who dare to speak up and discrimination against Asians.

Su Xiaohui: At present, the top priority of the global epidemic prevention is still to form a joint force against the epidemic. Especially in the issue of vaccine supply, many developing countries are still in the depression of vaccine supply. The practice of the United States to hype the problem of "virus traceability" has set off an evil trend in the international community. As a global power, the United States has always been "lip synching but not delivering" on the issue of vaccine supply, but has been entangled in the issue of "virus traceability". This practice of not paying attention to the global anti epidemic process, not supporting WHO, and trying to take the global anti epidemic direction for its own self-interest is very offensive.

Yuan Zheng: At present, the epidemic is still raging in many countries. Instead of focusing on global cooperation to fight against the epidemic, the United States provoked an incident on the issue of "virus traceability", which undermined the global solidarity in the fight against the epidemic. The United States prides itself on being a global leader. To truly assume its leadership role, the United States should unite all countries around the world, take joint and coordinated cooperative measures, and make a difference in core issues such as vaccine supply, rather than hoarding vaccines in the United States, and pursue "the United States first" in vaccine distribution. There is not much to be done in the actual contribution of aid to the global epidemic, but rather to play the political card on the issue of "virus traceability", which is not the due responsibility and action of a big country.

Zhou Fangyin: The US's practice of discrediting China on the issue of "virus traceability" is poisoning the atmosphere of global anti epidemic cooperation, which is very detrimental to future international cooperation. On the one hand, the United States hopes to lead the international public opinion on epidemic prevention, on the other hand, it gives priority to domestic vaccination in practical action, and favours the commercial interests of vaccine research and development enterprises. For other countries, including allies and partners, the export of vaccines and assistance are very limited. Such actions and patterns are really difficult to be the "leader" of the United States.

It is worth emphasizing that under the atmosphere advocated by the United States, China still adheres to the attitude of solidarity with the global anti epidemic cooperation, and constantly makes practical actions in anti epidemic cooperation such as vaccine assistance and export. It can be said that China's actions and responsibilities are obvious to all in the world.

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