'Animal or Laboratory in China?' Biden Orders Strengthened Verification of COVID-19 Origins

Received intelligence agency report on COVID-19 origin but instructed to supplement
One US intelligence agency acknowledges Wuhan lab origin theory
"Pressuring China to cooperate with international investigation and allow information access"
Trump reveals stance after mentioning Wuhan lab origin theory

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Joe Biden has instructed intelligence agencies to intensify efforts to verify whether the COVID-19 virus leaked from a laboratory in China. Attention is focused on whether the conflict between the U.S. and China over the origin of COVID-19 will escalate further.

President Biden stated in a statement released on the 26th (local time) that he had directed intelligence agencies to expand efforts to determine the cause of the COVID-19 outbreak, including the possibility that it originated from the Wuhan Institute in China.

In the statement, President Biden said, "In March, I instructed the National Security Council to verify various scenarios, including whether the COVID-19 virus started from contact with animals or leaked from a laboratory, and I have recently received a report."

He explained, "Among 18 intelligence agencies, two consider the animal contact theory to be more likely, but one leans toward the laboratory origin theory." However, he assessed that the confidence level of these agencies' judgments is low or moderate.

President Biden also noted the lack of sufficient information and requested a follow-up report within 90 days.

Regarding further investigations, President Biden emphasized that specific questions about China must be included, stating, "The United States will work with partners around the world to pressure China to participate fully and transparently in an international investigation and to allow access to all relevant data and evidence."

AP News reported that President Biden partially accepted the claim that the COVID-19 spreading in the U.S. originated from the Wuhan laboratory in China and pressured China to be transparent in the related investigation.

President Biden’s remarks came after former President Donald Trump emphasized the Wuhan laboratory origin theory of COVID-19 in an interview with Fox News.

Former President Trump claimed, "I think you can take the word 'possible' out when saying it might have come from the lab. There is very, very little doubt that it came from the laboratory."

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