“The FBI has long maintained that the origin of the pandemic is most likely a possible lab incident in Wuhan,” Wray told Fox News. “This is a possible leak at a laboratory controlled by the Chinese government.” Among other things, the head of the FBI appointed by the then President of the United States, Donald Trump, was suspected of making his statements to the conservative Fox News broadcaster of all people.
Wray declined to cite any details or evidence – citing secrecy and pending investigations. At the same time, however, he accused the Chinese government of “doing everything possible” to “hinder and cover up” the work of the US government and foreign partners. This is unfortunate for everyone.
AP/Carlos Osorio FBI Chief Wray
No consensus in the US government
The Department of Energy, which is responsible for overseeing the laboratories, had already changed its assessment of the origin of the corona virus, according to the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, a possible lab failure is now being assumed there as well, but only with a “low” degree of certainty.
Following this publication, National Security Council communications director John Kirby pointed out on Monday that there is still no unified view within the US government on the origin of the corona virus. “Currently there is no consensus in the US government on how exactly Covid came about,” he said.
According to the Wall Street Journal report, the National Intelligence Council and four US secret services assume that the virus has become dangerous to humans through “natural” transmission. The CIA and other intelligence services, on the other hand, have yet to come to a final conclusion.
Fighting for a position on China
According to commentators, the fact that the laboratory thesis is now being presented again may not have so much to do with the current state of research. Because in US politics the question of how to deal with China in the future is becoming more and more vague: the tension on the issue of Taiwan and the South China Sea, Beijing’s at least tolerant attitude towards Russia in the war of Ukraine and, more recently, the mysterious balloons in Washington, the voices calling for a tougher approach to China have grown louder.
FBI: Covid emerged in the laboratory
FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a TV interview that the FBI assumed for some time that the origin of the Covid pandemic was likely a laboratory accident in Wuhan, China. China reacted with outrage.
And if you also blame China for the biggest pandemic in decades, a more confrontational policy is easier to argue for. Of course, China has repeatedly vehemently rejected the laboratory’s thesis even after the new developments – at the same time, the country has shown only limited cooperation in international studies by the World Health Organization (WHO).
No clarification possible
The Financial Times pointed out that the lines between conservatives and liberals in the US are starting to blur on the China issue. Until now, staunch Republicans in particular have accused China of covering up that the virus comes from a lab, and Trump has even spoken of the “Wuhan virus”. Democrats had adhered to the thesis of a natural zoonosis, which prevails in scientific studies and is also represented by the WHO. Not infrequently, the laboratory thesis was seen as a conspiracy theory from this side.
It may also not be possible to explain one hundred percent how the virus came into the world. This makes the issue even more of a pawn in the political debate – because, in the end, no one is in danger of being wrong.
“Hawks” are getting louder
Several media outlets, including the Guardian and the Financial Times, noted that the “hawks” for tougher policy in China were becoming increasingly vocal – not just among Republicans, but among Democrats as well. This also puts US President Joe Biden under pressure. It’s a tough tightrope walk for him: on the one hand, he needs to show strength against China, but on the other hand, he also needs to leave room for more manoeuvres.
The “Financial Times” also referred to the possible consequences of a stricter policy towards China. It was recalled that Australia, which became the first country to request an investigation in 2020, paid the highest price when Beijing imposed hefty tariffs on several Australian exports. However, Australia failed to stop China, the conflict continued to intensify and it also fueled debate in the US.
Dangerous confrontation course
A geopolitical situation in which the US and China are on an open road to confrontation is extremely dangerous not only for conflict regions like Taiwan and Ukraine. The Financial Times pointed out that the two powers should cooperate on global issues. The newspaper did not just mention the fight against the climate crisis as an example: even in the face of a possible next pandemic, whose origin statistically is not improbable in China, the US, like the whole world, depends on functional cooperation.