Serious allegations against China: A paper records how the country downplayed the true extent of the outbreak and censored information.
The dossier documents the cover-up by Chinese authorities and points out risky research in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the new corona virus first appeared in December.
The 15-page document demonstrates the thrust of ongoing intelligence investigations. However, according to the newspaper, it also mentions its differences over the suspicion that the virus could really have come from the Institute of Virology in Wuhan.
US President Donald Trump had sparked speculation about it. Scientists consider it much more likely that Sars-CoV-2 has been transmitted to humans from bats via another animal and through the wildlife trade. China therefore banned the trade in wild animals with a new law in March.
China’s authorities suppressed warnings
Scientists have also demonstrated that the virus is not artificially generated, but is of natural origin, as confirmed by US intelligence agencies last week. The paper refers to dangerous research in the laboratory using virus from bats, although this was also done in collaboration with American and Australian scientists.
According to the “Saturday Telegraph”, the paper forms the basis for the allegations which the secret services are investigating. It records how the Chinese authorities suppressed early warnings from its medical professionals, downplayed the true extent of the outbreak, and censored information, which has also been reported several times in media reports.
The cover-up is described in the dossier as an “attack on international transparency”. It is particularly complained that China had denied until January 20 that the virus was transmitted from person to person. There have been indications of this since the beginning of December, the paper says.
China is also accused of destroying virus samples and of strictly monitoring scientific publications on the virus. The Chinese authorities have also refused to provide live samples to international researchers. (20 min)
