China has criticized the United States regarding the origins of Covid-19, alleging that Washington is “avoiding responsibility” for the virus and referencing statements made by former President Donald Trump about it potentially leaking from a lab in Wuhan.
In a white paper, the Chinese government claimed that the virus might have been present in the U.S. earlier than officially reported.
“The U.S. needs to stop dodging responsibility and reflecting on its public health policies,” the document asserts. “It can’t continue to ignore the many questions about its actions.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
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This report comes after the White House revamped its covid.gov website earlier this month, which now discusses the “true origin” of the virus.
Initially focused on vaccination efforts, the site now poses questions about the evidence supporting the lab leak theory and contrasts it with the views promoted by former National Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director, Anthony Fauci, who has suggested a natural origin for the virus. President Joe Biden has allowed for the possibility of accountability for any potential wrongdoing against the U.S., while also detailing the origins of social distancing guidelines and mask mandates.
The updated site argues that biological properties in the virus suggest it may not have a natural origin, emphasizing that Wuhan, the site of the first known Covid case, is also home to China’s “SARS Research Lab.” It notes that if any proof of a natural origin existed, it would have emerged by now.
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Previously, the Trump administration’s CIA had indicated a lab leak as a potential origin for Covid-19, although this idea has often been dismissed as a conspiracy theory by various media outlets and scientists during the pandemic’s early days.
In contrast, China reports that prior collaborations with the World Health Organization suggested that the virus was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via other animals.
The report also accused the U.S. of failing to take adequate measures against the virus.
The response of the U.S. has garnered scrutiny, with Chinese officials stating that its slow and ineffective handling of the outbreak serves as a troubling example for the world, making it the worst pandemic response globally.
Chinese authorities wrote, “Rather than confronting this problem and acknowledging its flaws, the U.S. government is attempting to shift the blame and politicize the investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV-2.”
“The U.S. must not ignore the mounting questions regarding their actions,” the report concluded.
Emma Colton of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
