On the 18th (local time), discussions on China were held in the US Congress on various topics such as the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) and the Indo-Pacific strategy. In particular, attention is drawn to the fact that the origin of the Corona 19 incident was unintentionally leaked from a Wuhan laboratory.
According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) and others, various subcommittees were held in the US Congress that day, and as if to prove the recently heightened tension between the US and China, discussions on China were held across various fields.
In particular, experts commissioned by the U.S. Senate Health Committee analyzed U.S. government documents, medical papers, and media reports for 18 months to trace the origin of Corona 19, and as a result, an unintentional leakage accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, China was the origin of the COVID-19 outbreak. claim was made.
A team of experts led by Dr. Robert Cadlac, who served as Assistant Secretary of Health during the Donald Trump administration, presented such circumstantial evidence through a 300-page report, saying, “The claim that the COVID-19 outbreak was caused by an unintentional leak at a laboratory does not A lot of circumstantial evidence supports it.”
A team of experts estimated the time of the appearance of Corona 19 between October 28 and November 10, 2019, and a researcher related to the People’s Liberation Army of China began research on a Corona 19 vaccine from November 2019, around the same time.
In addition, biological safety rules were suddenly strengthened at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, suspected to be the origin of Corona 19, and a high-ranking Beijing health official was dispatched to Wuhan.
There was no clear evidence that the virus had leaked from the laboratory, but the research team made this official claim at the hearing that day.
Regarding the claim that wild animals were hosts of the Corona 19 virus, the report put weight on the laboratory leak theory, saying “there is no evidence”.
This conclusion is known to be consistent with the conclusions recently reached by the US Department of Energy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI.
In response, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe argued, “As someone who had access to government secrets in the early days of the pandemic, my judgment based on classified information, science, and common sense is that the laboratory leak is the only explanation.”
Currently, the National Intelligence Commission (NIC) and four intelligence agencies weigh in on the theory of natural origin of the virus, and there are still disagreements over the origin of Corona 19 in the United States.
Former Director Ratcliffe added that he would continue to consult with related organizations to produce results in the same direction regarding the origin of Corona 19.
He pointed out that “the possibility of a natural origin theory is getting lower and lower as time goes on,” and repeatedly put weight on the theory of an unintentional leak from the Wuhan laboratory.
The media reported that the subcommittee is also expected to tentatively agree to this conclusion and draw a final conclusion.
◇ The schedule of hearings related to China is ‘tightly packed’ until late at night across various fields
The ROK and U.S. Air Forces are conducting a combined air drill with South Korean F-35A fighters, U.S. B-52H strategic bombers, and F-16 fighters participating in the skies over the Korean Peninsula on the 14th. (Provided by the Ministry of National Defense) 2023.4.14/News 1Another China-related subcommittee also discussed the size of China’s fleet. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro insisted that we work hard for the security of the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing that “we must evolve and be able to innovate in order to fight effectively.”
He argues for funding artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons, manpower and other priorities, noting that “some of those who criticize military design or naval operations don’t understand that the threat has changed so much in the Indo-Pacific.” did.
Hearings on China this week on topics such as China’s threat to the United States were densely conducted and filled the Congressional schedule, and related discussions continued until late in the evening.
Pentagon officials have vowed to do better against delays in maintenance, fuel spills and manufacturing delays at shipyards and ammunition plants that have delayed the US nuclear-powered attack submarine program behind schedule and disrupted arms shipments to Taiwan.
Navy officials rejected the idea of the US pursuing the Chinese Navy, which is expected to have 460 vessels by 2030, stressing the high quality of the US fleet and that the Pentagon has 56 vessels under construction and 77 under contract.
In addition, mention was made of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in which 11 Asian-Pacific countries participate.
The CPTPP is a multilateral FTA involving 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It was launched in December 2018 by Japan and other countries after the US withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was led by the US. Twelve countries including Japan, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam are currently participating.
China is currently applying for CPTPP membership. In the United States, the media reported that discussions on the need to prepare appropriately for this are emerging.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.