Pompeo: "There is significant evidence that COVID-19 originated from the Wuhan Institute"... Stirring Responsibility Debate in China

Trump "Can impose $1 trillion tariffs on China"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondents Baek Jong-min and Lee Hyun-woo] Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, once again claimed that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that punitive tariffs could be imposed to hold China accountable, fueling the growing global "China responsibility theory." In particular, as China faces diplomatic isolation, suspicions have arisen that it is distributing fake news to shape public opinion in its favor, along with claims that the Chinese government deliberately concealed the severity of COVID-19, increasing pressure on China.

According to U.S. media such as ABC on the 3rd (local time), Secretary Pompeo said in an interview with ABC News, "There is substantial evidence that COVID-19 came from the virus laboratory in Wuhan," adding, "The world was exposed to the virus as a result of the failure of the Chinese laboratory." President Trump said at a Fox News town hall meeting held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, "Whether by mistake or intentionally, China bears great responsibility for the COVID-19 situation," and stated, "We could impose tariffs worth $1 trillion to receive compensation from China."

In the U.S., there is a theory of responsibility not only that the COVID-19 virus originated in China but also that China knew of the risks and concealed them. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prepared a report stating that since early January, Chinese leadership deliberately hid the severity of COVID-19 while increasing imports of medical equipment and reducing exports. The report indicates that China delayed World Health Organization (WHO) reports related to COVID-19 infectivity in early January and sharply increased imports of masks and protective gloves. The Department of Homeland Security judged that such export-import behavior was far from normal levels.

The theory of China's responsibility for the COVID-19 crisis is spreading worldwide, not just in the U.S. On the 22nd of last month, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged support for an international investigation into the origin of COVID-19 during calls with leaders of the U.S. and major European countries, which led to warnings of economic retaliation from China. Germany's influential media outlet Bild reported that China should be demanded to pay $160 billion in compensation for COVID-19 damages, prompting backlash from the Chinese government.

As global public opinion toward China worsens, suspicions have also arisen that Chinese state-run media are distributing fake news for propaganda purposes. Recently, the People's Daily of China posted a video claiming that Italian residents cheered in gratitude to the Chinese government, but foreign media confirmed that this was fabricated. The video was reported to show Italian residents playing the Chinese national anthem and coming out onto balconies to support China, but foreign media reported that it appeared to be manipulated using footage of Italian medical staff who come out every Saturday to applaud collectively from balconies to express thanks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.