Senate Republicans Mobilizing to Confront China; China Acknowledges Destroying Early Coronavirus Samples
By Daily Caller. Several Senate Republicans are mobilizing plans to confront China for its delay, cover up and suppression of critical information in the lead up to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Daily Caller has learned. Options on the table even include “authorizing U.S. courts to seize Chinese government assets” once an investigation “determine[s] the damages China owes the US — and the world.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to delay the release of information regarding its coronavirus outbreak, German intelligence reported. Xi met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Jan. 21 to request that he withhold information and delay the declaration of a global pandemic, according to German magazine Der Spiegel’s report, published May 8.
“We now know that leaders at the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party actively hid the coronavirus outbreak from the world, silencing those who tried to sound the alarm, prevent a global pandemic, and save lives,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told the Daily Caller. “Next week, I will introduce the Ending Chinese Medical Censorship and Cover Ups Act of 2020, just one of the legislative steps I am taking to hold the Chinese officials involved in medical censorship directly accountable.” (Read more from “Senate Republicans Mobilizing to Confront China” HERE)
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China Acknowledges Destroying Early Coronavirus Samples, Confirming U.S. Accusation
By Newsweek. China has acknowledged it destroyed some samples of the novel coronavirus in the early stages of the outbreak, but challenged U.S. allegations that this was conducted as part of a cover-up.
Liu Dengfeng, a supervisor at the science and education division of China’s National Health Commission, said at a news conference Friday in Beijing that the Chinese government issued an order on January 3 to dispose of novel coronavirus samples at certain facilities not qualified to handle such highly infectious diseases as a measure to “prevent the risk to laboratory biological safety and prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens.”
The move came after the novel coronavirus, known now officially as SARS-CoV-2, was classified as Class II or “highly pathogenic” based on research and expert recommendations, Liu said. This decision necessitated “clear requirements on the collection, transportation, experimental use and destruction of the pathogen” in order to avoid a potential mishap or leakage, he said. (Read more from “China Acknowledges Destroying Early Coronavirus Samples, Confirming U.S. Accusation” HERE)
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