China has reignited the COVID-19 origins debate, releasing a new white paper that squarely accuses the United States of possibly being the source of the virus—flipping the script on long-standing Western claims.
Published by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday, the document rebuffs allegations that the pandemic began at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Instead, it presses for investigations into early U.S. cases, referencing CDC data indicating that SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were found in samples collected in late 2019.
Beijing’s response comes amid renewed claims by U.S. political actors, especially from the Trump camp, alleging a lab leak in Wuhan. China, however, argues the U.S. has consistently politicized virus tracing and dodged accountability.
“The U.S. government has misled the global community by blaming China rather than confronting its domestic failures,” the white paper stated.
The document further cites unexplained respiratory cases across the U.S. from mid to late 2019 as potential evidence, though conclusive lab confirmations remain absent. It also criticizes the U.S. for its slow initial response, saying it squandered the critical time window China provided.
The controversy intensifies as the Biden administration recently unveiled a new COVID-19 information hub, once again spotlighting the Wuhan lab and slamming past pandemic mismanagement.