Congress Pushes Back After Chinese Tries to ‘Interfere’ in COVID-19 Investigation

Chinese officials are trying to interfere with the investigation into the origins of COVID-19, but top lawmakers in Congress are not backing down.

They are calling on China to allow several researchers to testify and decrying the attempt to interfere with the probe.

Li Xiang, a counselor at the U.S. Chinese Embassy, sent a letter to Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, on April 14, stating that Chinese officials “firmly oppose” an upcoming hearing on the COVID-19 origins.

But Wenstrup and members of the panel responded on April 24, telling Chinese ambassador to the United States Qin Gang that “this type of interference is unacceptable and will not impede the Select Subcommittee’s efforts.”

“We encourage you to cease and, instead, cooperate with the numerous international investigations into the origins of COVID-19,” they said.

The origins of the new coronavirus remain unknown more than three years later, but the first COVID-19 cases were detected in China in 2019 in Wuhan, the same city that hosts an institute of laboratories where Chinese researchers experiment on bat coronaviruses.

Li said that tracing the origins was “a complex matter of science” and that investigating the origins “should be and can only be conducted jointly by scientists.”

Wenstrup and the other Republicans agreed, noting that the panel includes seven doctors and has spoken to numerous scientists about the matter.

“The Select Subcommittee will continue to gather evidence, take testimony, and follow the facts,” the lawmakers said. “Considering your position, we respectfully request you make scientists under your control available to the Select Subcommittee for in-person transcribed interviews.”

They asked for access to Dr. George Gao, the former director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Shi Zhengl