US Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman: "COVID-19 is a naturally occurring disease, not lab-made"

Rebuttal of 'COVID-19 Manufacture Theory' by Wuhan Virus Institute
Dr. Yan Limeng's Twitter Account Suspended...Controversy Over Judgment as Misinformation

John Hyten, U.S. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is speaking at a virtual symposium hosted by the U.S. National Defense University Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction on the 17th (local time).
[Image source=U.S. Department of Defense]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman directly refuted the 'COVID-19 manufacturing theory' that the virus was created in China by explaining at a Department of Defense symposium on weapons of mass destruction that the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a naturally occurring illness. This statement is interpreted as a response to the controversy over the theory that the COVID-19 virus was manufactured at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was claimed by a Hong Kong University immunology doctor who defected to the U.S. Earlier, as this claim surfaced, anti-China sentiment and the theory blaming China for COVID-19 intensified in the U.S., while scientists worldwide have reportedly judged the claim to be unreliable.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, on the 17th (local time), John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated at a virtual symposium hosted by the U.S. National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, "COVID-19 is a naturally occurring disease that first appeared in Wuhan, China, and was not deliberately leaked from a laboratory," adding, "However, our adversaries will understand how biological warfare capabilities can impact a nation, considering our response and the effects COVID-19 has had on our country." This remark came while Vice Chairman Hyten was explaining nuclear weapons and biological warfare during the weapons of mass destruction-themed session.

This statement is interpreted as a response to the widespread COVID-19 manufacturing theory in the U.S. Earlier, on the 14th, Dr. Yan Limeng, an immunologist at the Hong Kong University School of Public Health, announced that the COVID-19 virus was manufactured at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, sparking a global controversy. After defecting to the U.S. in April, she and her colleagues prepared a supporting paper and published it on the open information platform Zenodo.

While the authenticity of Dr. Yan’s claims continues to be debated, social media companies in the U.S., such as Twitter and Facebook, have suspended her accounts or added false information warnings to her videos, further escalating the controversy. On the same day, Tucker Carlson, anchor of the Fox News current affairs program Tucker Carlson Tonight, criticized on air, saying, "It was wrong to prematurely label Dr. Yan’s paper as false," and added, "The authorities’ reluctance to clarify the virus’s origin and the media’s disregard of this issue are also problematic."

However, the scientific community reportedly finds Dr. Yan’s claims lacking sufficient evidence and difficult to trust. Professor Andrew Preston of the University of Bath, UK, told Newsweek, “In its current form, this paper cannot be given any credibility.” According to the UK Daily Mail, Dr. Michael Head of the University of Southampton stated, “Peer-reviewed papers have already clearly shown that the novel coronavirus was not created in a laboratory,” and evaluated, “Dr. Yan’s paper does not provide any data that surpasses previous studies.” Earlier, in May, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, dismissed the virus manufacturing theory in an interview with National Geographic, saying, "I strongly lean toward the view that this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated."

Chinese state media have criticized Dr. Yan and her research team as spreading fake news, alleging connections with U.S. far-right groups. The Chinese state-run Global Times reported that Dr. Yan appears to be affiliated with the 'Rule of Law Society,' an organization created by Steve Bannon, a far-right figure and former aide to former U.S. President Donald Trump, suggesting possible links and labeling the claims as baseless slander.