[it's an important discussion
with the Wuhan institutte still open it can happen again.. even the WHO (running dogs for China) is getting hip
Theory That COVID Came From A Chinese Lab Takes On New Life In Wake Of WHO Report
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/31/98315...e-of-who-repor
Trump sought to place maximum blame for COVID-19 on China — and pushed the lab leak theory — in what some of his critics saw as an effort to deflect criticism of his own handling of the pandemic.
But Scott Kennedy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said China's foot-dragging on an investigation, counter-accusations and secrecy haven't helped its case.
"The West prides itself on its openness and transparency relative to authoritarian places like China, so in the competition for soft power and legitimacy this is a useful topic to continue to push," he said.
For its part, the Biden administration joined 13 other governments to criticize the WHO report and call for more openness from China on Tuesday. In a joint statement, they did not mention the lab leak theory, but the Biden administration hasn't ruled it out.
"I think the administration has made it pretty clear that given the lack of Chinese transparency, it is not comfortable eliminating the lab escape theory," said Elizabeth Economy, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
"The fact that WHO head Tedros, who has previously championed China's transparency, stated that more extensive research was needed before eliminating the possibility that the virus escaped from the lab signals that continued skepticism is merited," Economy said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he does not believe the team's assessment of the lab leak possibility was extensive enough.
"Although the team has concluded that a laboratory leak is the least likely hypothesis, this requires further investigation, potentially with additional missions involving specialist experts, which I am ready to deploy," he told WHO members, according to a written statement.
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/31/98315...e-of-who-repor
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