Biden slams China as new report on Covid-19 origins is released

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President Joe Biden criticized the People’s Republic of China for its lack of transparency after the Director of National Intelligence showed him a report on the origins of Covid-19.

“We needed this information quickly, from the People’s Republic of China, while the epidemic was still new,” he said. “The world deserves answers, and I won’t rest until we get them. Responsible nations do not shirk these kinds of responsibilities to the rest of the world.”

DNI released the unclassified version of its report on Friday. The president had ordered the intelligence community to conduct a 90-day report on the origins of the virus.

But the summary of the report showed that the origins are still unclear, as indicated by the lack of clarity from China.

“After examining all available intelligence reports and other information, the ICRC remains divided over the most likely source of COVID-19,” she said. “All agencies estimate two reasonable hypotheses: natural exposure to an infected animal and a laboratory-related accident.”

At the same time, the intelligence community has ruled that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, was not developed as a biological weapon, but two agencies believe there is not enough evidence to make a ruling in either case.

But there were other assessments among individual groups within the intelligence community. Four members of the community and the National Intelligence Council assessed with “low confidence” that the initial infection was most likely caused by natural exposure to an animal infected with the virus or to a similar animal.

Meanwhile, a community member assessed with “moderate confidence” that the first human infection came from a lab-related incident that likely involved experimentation, handling or animal handling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

But three agencies in the community couldn’t get around it as to whether it was an animal infection or a lab accident that caused the infection.

The lack of transparency means there are few definitive answers about the origins of Covid-19.

“The ICRC – and the global scientific community – lacks clinical samples or a full understanding of the epidemiological data from the first cases of COVID-19,” the summary said. “If we obtain information about early cases that identified a site of interest or occupational exposure, this could change our assessment of hypotheses.”

Biden said the United States will continue to pressure China to adhere to scientific norms and standards such as information sharing.

“We must have a full and transparent account of this global tragedy. Nothing less is acceptable.”

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