Chinese scientists allegedly investigated weaponising coronaviruses five years before the Covid-19 pandemic and may have predicted a World War III fought with biological weapons, according to media reports referring to documents obtained by the US State Department.
According to ‘The Sun’ newspaper in the UK, quoting reports first released by ‘The Australian’, the “bombshell” documents obtained by the US State Department reportedly show the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commanders making the prediction. A paper, purportedly written by PLA scientists and quoted in an upcoming book, suggests Chinese military scientists were discussing ways of weaponising coronaviruses five years before the pandemic struck the world.
Chinese scientists described SARS coronaviruses — of which Covid is one example — as presenting a “new era of genetic weapons”. It discusses new advancements like freeze-drying micro-organisms that allow biological agents to be stored and later aerosolised them during attacks.
Following China’s experience with the SARS outbreak in 2002-04, it approved the construction of the country’s first biosafety level-4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institue of Virology (WIV). Due to the WIV’s proximity to the city of Wuhan, where the first-known outbreak occurred, the lab was at the centre of allegations that the virus was man-made.
It includes several senior Chinese public health and military figures as authors, including the former deputy director of China’s Bureau of Epidemic Prevention, Li Feng, as well as scientists and weapons experts affiliated with the Air Force Medical University in Xi’an. The Australian says the document was verified by digital forensics specialist Robert Potter.
Notably, Australia was among the first countries that called for an independent investigation to ascertain the reason behind the COVID-19 outbreak. The country has expressed a lack of confidence over Beijing’s claim that coronavirus began spreading from a wet market in Wuhan.
China, in turn, has called for an origin tracing study of the virus centred in the US, which in a tit-for-tat move, it had also accused of being a possible origin point for the virus.
Meanwhile, there is no evidence so far to suggest it was intentionally released by China.
