Chinese officials have released a white paper accusing the United States of being the potential source of COVID-19, not Wuhan, China.
A report by the Chinese State Council Information Office claims that there is “substantial evidence” suggesting the virus may have emerged in the U.S. before its reported detection in China.
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The paper points to alleged respiratory disease outbreaks in the U.S. between May and October 2019 as possible early COVID-19 cases, predating the Wuhan outbreak.
It also highlights around 1,500 reported U.S. laboratory incidents involving dangerous pathogens, though it acknowledges most were minor.
The report calls for a thorough investigation into the U.S. as a potential origin point and accuses Washington of politicizing the issue by blaming China, particularly through the theory that the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
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The U.S. has consistently pointed to Wuhan as the likely origin, with the FBI and CIA citing evidence supporting a lab-leak scenario.
A 2023 U.S. House Committee report emphasized intelligence suggesting a lab-related incident at the WIV, and a recent White House website update endorsed this theory.
In contrast, a 2021 WHO report, conducted with Chinese scientists, deemed a lab leak “extremely unlikely,” favoring zoonotic transmission, though it faced criticism for limited access to Chinese data.
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