{"id":22300,"date":"2020-03-30T00:19:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-29T18:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kashmir.today\/american-coronavirus-china-pushes-propaganda-casting-doubt-on-virus-origin\/"},"modified":"2020-03-30T00:19:33","modified_gmt":"2020-03-29T18:49:33","slug":"american-coronavirus-china-pushes-propaganda-casting-doubt-on-virus-origin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/?p=22300","title":{"rendered":"‘American coronavirus’: China pushes propaganda casting doubt on virus origin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Diplomats, state media and officials in China encourage idea that Covid-19 came from the US<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Guardian<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most popular topics on the Chinese microblog Weibo on Thursday was a one-minute clip of a US congressional hearing this week on how the country was dealing with the coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the video posted by the People\u2019s Daily, Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is asked whether there may have been deaths attributed to influenza that could actually have been the result of Covid-19. Redfield responds in the affirmative: \u201cSome cases have been actually diagnosed that way in the United States today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redfield\u2019s vague answer was enough to add fuel to a conspiracy theory that has been gaining traction over the past two weeks in China \u2013 that the coronavirus did not originate in China but may have come from the US instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe US has finally acknowledged that among those who had died of the influenza previously were cases of the coronavirus. The true source of the virus was the US!\u201d one commentator said. \u201cThe US owes the world, especially China, an apology,\u201d another said. \u201cAmerican coronavirus,\u201d one wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theory has gained traction over the past few weeks, after a respected epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan, said in a passing remark at a press conference on 27 February that although the virus first appeared in China \u201cit may not have originated in China\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zhong later clarified his statement, saying that the first place where a disease is discovered does not \u201cequate to it being the source\u201d. He told reporters: \u201cBut neither can we conclude that the virus came from abroad. Only through investigation and tracing can we answer that question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet only Zhong\u2019s first comment has stuck, repeated by Chinese diplomats, state media and officials who have subtly encouraged the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Thursday, a foreign ministry spokesman suggested without evidence the US military might have brought the virus to the Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak. Zhao Lijian accused the US of lacking transparency, saying on Twitter: \u201cWhen did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China\u2019s ambassador to South Africa said last week on Twitter that the virus was not necessarily \u201cmade in China\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Although the epidemic first broke out in China, it did not necessarily mean that the virus is originated from China, let alone "made in China". pic.twitter.com\/EVXLkQnyfF<\/a><\/p>— \u5434\u9e4f Wu Peng (@AmbWuPeng) March 7, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>