[Correspondent Diary] China, 'Still, the Earth Spins'

'America's Conspiracy, Virus Court'... COVID Origin Investigation Is Politics, Not Science
China Strikes Back at COVID Origin Probe, Demands U.S. Also Be Investigated

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] As news spread that U.S. intelligence agencies have failed to reach a conclusion on the origin of the Wuhan virus in China, the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency published a satirical illustration titled "Virus Tribunal, America's Conspiracy" late on the 28th (local time).

The background of the illustration is a U.S. hearing room. A person wearing protective clothing stands in the center of the hearing room. Judging by the protective suit bearing the Wuhan Virus Laboratory logo, it seems to represent China. He is holding the "Caduceus," a symbol of medicine.

Photo by Xinhua News Agency Capture

The judge wears a top hat adorned with the Stars and Stripes. Two people seated to the judge's left are whispering to each other. One covers the microphone with his hand to prevent the whisper from leaking out. On the judge's right, the apocalyptic horseman who brings plague and leads humans to death is watching the trial. The Statue of Liberty on horseback watches over the person being investigated. A bald eagle symbolizing the United States is also keeping an eye on him. People presumed to be reporters are continuously flashing their cameras.

The core of this illustration lies more in the text than the image. The illustration includes the phrase "Eppur si muove," which means "And yet it moves." This was said by Galileo Galilei as he left the religious tribunal. Galileo was tried in 1633 for denying the geocentric theory, which claimed Earth was the center of the universe, and advocating the heliocentric theory. Although Galileo eventually recanted his beliefs, over time humanity came to understand the scientific fact that it is the Earth, not the universe, that moves.

This illustration implies that the U.S. claim that the Chinese Wuhan laboratory is the origin of the coronavirus is absurd, and that the truth will be revealed over time. By referencing Galileo's trial, which ignored science, it argues that the U.S. is conducting a 17th-century-style religious trial against China.

As China hoped(?), the U.S. has failed to reach a conclusion on the origin of the coronavirus. Four U.S. intelligence agencies concluded with low confidence that the coronavirus likely spread from animals to humans. Another agency judged with moderate confidence that the first human infection appears linked to the Wuhan laboratory. They also assessed that the coronavirus was not developed as a biochemical weapon. However, they pointed out that China is still not sharing information and is obstructing the virus origin investigation.

China has counterattacked. It formally requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the U.S. Fort Detrick laboratory and the University of North Carolina laboratory. Until the U.S. finds decisive evidence, the conflict between the U.S. and China over the origin of the coronavirus is expected to continue for a considerable time. For reference, the story that Galileo muttered "Eppur si muove" as he left the courtroom is anecdotal and not an established fact.

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