The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently started a new wave of claims against the U.S. as the origin of the coronavirus.
This was not the first time that the CCP made such an attempt. The last wave was initiated by China’s Foreign Minister Spokesperson Zhao Lijian who claimed that American soldiers brought the coronavirus to Wuhan. President Trump and other U.S. officials seriously and furiously rejected China’s blame.
On March 31, The U.S. Department of State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus stated that Xi Jinping, in his conversation with President Trump on March 26, promised to control the Chinese side to keep it from blaming the U.S. China has since been quiet. (#1: Radio France International)
However, on April 23, China started the accusations again.
At a news briefing of the Joint Prevention and Join Control of the Coronavirus Mechanism of the State Council, a reporter asked Shi Yi, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences:
“Recently, foreign media reported that the U.S. military restarted the Fort Detrick Biochemical Research Laboratory in Maryland. Many local people began to flee when they got the news. Some people in the U.S. believe that there is multiple evidence indicating that the shutting down of the Fort Detrick lab in August last year was very suspicious. They suspect that the base may be the source of the novel coronavirus and caused the influenza pandemic in the fall and winter in the U.S. Then the virus mutated after American soldiers participating in the Wuhan Military Games brought it over to China and spread it in China. How do you view this issue?”
Shi Yi replied, “We have noticed relevant information on the Internet. Some people in the U.S. suspect that the Fort Detrick lab may be the source of the novel coronavirus. The U.S. has not provided a response publicly yet and we have no way to make a judgment.” (#2: China News Service)
Many Chinese media, including China Central Television (CCTV) and the government’s official site reported this Q&A. (#3: CCTV and #4: China’s Government Site)
Radio Free Asia commented that this was a well-arranged Q&A. A news reporter from an official media read a lengthy paragraph stating a prepared question (which was a statement rather than a question, which was a mixture of truth and misinformation). Then Shi Yi read back the prepared answer. In fact, the Fort Detrick lab was closed in July of last year due to the failure of the steam sterilization equipment; it now has a new wastewater treatment system. (#5: Radio Free Asia)
Related postings on Chinascope:
- Propaganda and Lies: CCP Accused U.S. and Italy as Virus Origins
- Propaganda and Lies: China’s Propaganda Machine Spread Zhao Lijian’s Accusation of the U.S.
- Propaganda and Lies: President Trump Responded to China’s Accusation
- Propaganda and Lies: U.S. Responded to China’s Accusation
- Propaganda and Lies: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Said Virus Was From the U.S.