FBI accuses Chinese lab of being behind covid-19 pandemic in new diplomatic spat

China has once again been accused of being the source of the covid-19 pandemic, specifically being from a lab-related incident. What makes the latest accusation more potent than previous ones is who it comes from as well as the timing.

Speaking to Fox News, FBI director Christopher Wray commented that it was the organisation’s belief that the virus was borne from a Chinese lab experiment.

“The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” he told Bret Baier.

The FBI joins the Department of Energy in alleging the virus coming from a Wuhan lab. The two organisations are at odds with the global scientific census as well as a number of other US departments. The National Intelligence Council and four other agencies have concluded that the virus originated in animals, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Accusations against China are becoming more and more common as the US pivots against its Asian rival.

China in the crosshairs again as US identifies greatest rival

China’s economic rise since the 1980s has led to increasing competition with the United States and raised questions about the future balance of power in the international system. The Chinese economy is predicted to overtake that of the US by 2035, a position the US has not been in since 1890. It is no wonder that aspects of the establishment are worried about this inevitability and are working their hardest to prevent it.

This has been emphasised by the first meeting of the new China Select Committee on Tuesday. Committee chair Mike Gallagher described what he sees as an “existential struggle” against China’s “ideological, technological, economic and military threat.”

Other flashpoints this year include the spy balloon fiasco in which the US shot down a number of suspected Chinese spy balloons. Many of these turned out to be normal balloons and it was admitted that they posed no threat.