I. Question：Recently, the editorial of Boston Herald indicates that, for as long as the coronavirus has held the country in its grip, discussing its origins has been a political minefield. The theory that COVID could have been made in a laboratory in China was denounced last year as a conspiracy. That tune changed after WHO found there was “insufficient scientific evidence to rule any of the hypotheses out,” including the suggestion the virus could have been made in a lab. The science didn’t change — but the political atmosphere has. Does the spokesperson have any comment?
Spokesperson: As tracing the origins of COVID-19 is a serious scientific matter, science must be followed, and scientists relied on before conclusions can be reached. COVID-19 originated from nature. This is a consensus of international academic and medical communities. Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, pointed out in his blog last March that the virus almost certainly originated in nature, and was not the product of purposeful manipulation in a lab. In a recent interview with CNBC, Dr. Collins said again that, the vast evidence indicates this was a naturally occurring virus, and the virus itself does not have the earmarks of having been created intentionally by human work. World Health Organization and Chinese scientists, after two joint study missions in China, have derived in their report that it is “extremely unlikely” for the virus to be introduced to mankind via laboratories. Their report is authoritative and can stand the test of science and history. It must be respected and implemented. Future global origins study should and can only be carried out on this basis.
However, as indicated by the Boston Herald Editorial, “the science didn’t change -- but the political atmosphere has.” Some U.S. politicians and media never stop their stigmatizing and politicizing campaign. They spread the “lab leak theory”, attempting to overturn the joint report. Such actions have zero interest in science and distort the facts , showing no respect for science and scientists around the world. The U.S. Government relies on the intelligence community for the origins study is in itself not scientific. It is impossible that the final report could be based on facts and scientific methods, nor does it reach any scientific conclusion. It will only interfere in and undermine the global efforts of origin tracing and cooperation on pandemic response. China’s position on global origin tracing has been consistent and clear-cut. We support and will continue to take a part in a science-based origin tracing. Meanwhile, we oppose a politicized one, and we oppose an origin tracing that goes against the resolution of World Health Assembly and forsakes the WHO-China joint mission report.
The virus knows no borders and ethnicity. As the COVID-19 is still raging, the priority remains to be enhancing solidarity and cooperation. During the most trying period last year, the Chinese Consulate General in New York actively promoted anti-pandemic cooperation between China and the local governments and many American people in our consular district. We facilitated the donation of 1,000 ventilators to New York State from China, and established a green channel for the New England Patriots team to deliver 1.2 million face masks from Shenzhen to Massachusetts, just to mention a few. Such cooperation has written the good stories of our two peoples on working together to fight against the pandemic. The cooperation between the Chinese and American scientific communities are impressive. Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, director of Center for Infection and Immunity of Columbia University, went off to China in harm’s way once again after he assisted the country in fighting the 2003 SARS epidemic. The Chinese specialists shared the experience to battle the pandemic with the medical institutions in our consular district in the United States, including virtual exchanges between the Department of Infectious Diseases at Fudan-Huashan Hospital and Mount Sinai of New York, and between Xiangya Hospital and Yale University, etc. As the severe pandemic situation caused by the delta variant is still raging, the Chinese Consulate General in New York will continue to work together with all walks of life in our consular district advocating the spirit of science, adopting a science-based approach, and following the law of science. We will keep promoting the anti-pandemic cooperation between China and the consular district in all fields, contributing to the humanity’s ultimate victory against the pandemic.
II. Question：As the editorial of Boston Herald mentioned, in the pandemic’s nascent days, then-President Donald Trump referred to it as the “Chinese virus”, sparking a fresh wave of rancor, which caused continued attacks against people of Asian ethnicity in the United States. Against the backdrop, the speculating on COVID’s origins came at the risk of being called xenophobic. No matter what the result of the origin tracing is, the infectious spread of political division over its handling remains clear. What’s your comment on this?
Spokesperson: We noticed that the editorial quoted President Biden’s tweet on the day after Trump administration announced travel restrictions on people who were in China 14 days before coming to the US. He tweeted, “we are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus. We need to lead the way with science-not Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering.” Has the situation changed after more than a year? The following facts may be more convincing:
According to CNN’s report on August 24th, the leaders of Asian American organizations including Asian American Federation in New York are concerned that the report on the origins of the COVID-19 virus expected to be released this week by the Biden administration will be used to “legitimize racist language” and lead to more anti-Asian violence across the country.No matter what the report concludes, the Asian American community will continue to be a target for xenophobes. An organization called “Stop AAPI Hate” published a report recently based on media coverage, which recorded 9,081 anti-Asian incidents between March 19, 2020 and June 30, 2021. According to local media reports, another Asian woman was assaulted in New York City last Sunday. The suspect also made hateful remarks against Asians and clamored, “go back to your country.”
I would like to point out that China is committed to global efforts against COVID-19 pandemic, and opposes politicization, stigmatization, and using the origins study as a tool. The concerns of Asian Americans should not be ignored. From the prior US administration’s calling out “Chinese virus”, to the investigation carried out by the intelligence community of this administration against the Wuhan Institute based on a “presumption of guilt”, some US politicians have been trying to spread stigmatizing remarks across the world to blindly blame China and shirk its own responsibilities. These acts intensify discrimination, bullying, even hatred and attacks against the racial minorities including Chinese Americans, and worsen the already serious racial discrimination problems, which goes against the “Uniting America” commitment made by the President. China, as the first country to report COVID-19 cases, is a victim of the pandemic like other countries, and we all hope to find out the origin of the virus and cut off its transmission as early as possible. Origin tracing cooperation must be based on science, and politicization must be firmly rejected. China will continue to work with other parties to carry out science-based global origin tracing, and contribute China’s part to humanity's final victory over COVID-19.