China Rejects WHO’s Lab‑Leak Probe Plan
Beijing has thrown a straight‑forward no‑no at a new WHO investigation blueprint that would dig into the possibility that the coronavirus slipped out of a Chinese lab. The setback comes after the WHO proposed a second wave of studies – scrutinizing labs and markets in Wuhan – that would demand “full transparency” from Chinese authorities.
What the Chinese Response Looks Like
- “We won’t accept such a plan,” the National Health Commission’s Vice‑Minister Dr. Zeng Yixin told reporters.
- The plan includes a hypothesis that lab protocols might have been breached, potentially leading to a leak during research.
- Dr. Zeng said he was surprised to read that the WHO list even entertains the idea of a lab escape.
- China argues that some data cannot be shared in full because of privacy concerns. “We hope the WHO will treat this as a scientific matter, not a political one,” he added.
- The nation refuses to cast the investigation on politics, insisting it “should remain a science‑based search for answers.”
WHO’s Broader Plan
Earlier this month, the WHO’s chief highlighted that investigations are being hampered by a lack of raw data from the critical first days of the outbreak in China. The organization wants to audit labs and markets, looking for clues about how the virus might have jumped to humans.
How the Debate Stacks Up
- Origin sightings first appeared in Wuhan back in December 2019, seemingly linked to animal markets.
- In May, President Joe Biden asked U.S. intel officials to dig deeper into the virus’s beginnings. The U.S. intelligence community considers several pathways – including a potential lab accident.
- Meanwhile, Chinese scientists caution that a lab leak is extremely unlikely and argue that more animal research, especially in bat‑rich areas, should take precedence.
- Yet, the lab‑leak theory is not fully dismissed. It’s simply not prioritized without stronger evidence.
WIV’s Database Dilemma
Central to the lab‑leak debate is the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s decision in 2019 to keep its gene sequence and sample databases offline. The institute’s director, Yuán Zhìmíng, explained that the data are still shared internally due to fears of cyber‑attacks.
In the end, China pushes for the WHO to broaden its studies beyond the country, demanding the investigation it’s part of actually be a global, unbiased search, free from political tug‑of‑war.