The Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai. did not deny that the coronavirus came from China’s biological warfare program on Sunday and instead suggested that the deadly virus could have come from a military lab in the U.S.
Tiankai made the remarks on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” in response to China’s struggle to stop the coronavirus from continuing to spread. It has now infected at least 37,198 and killed at least 811 in China.
“This week, Senator Tom Cotton, who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committee, suggested that the virus may have come from China’s biological warfare program,” CBS News’ Margaret Brennan said. “That’s an extraordinary charge. How do you respond to that?”
“I think it’s true that a lot is still unknown and our scientists, Chinese scientists, American scientists, scientists of other countries are doing their best to learn more about the virus, but it’s very harmful,” Cui responded. “It’s very dangerous to stir up suspicion, rumors and spread them among the people. For one thing, this will create panic. Another thing that it will fend up racial discrimination, xenophobia, all these things, that will really harm our joint efforts to combat the virus.”
“Of course, there are all kinds of speculation and rumors,” Cui continued. “There are people who are saying that these virus are coming from some- some military lab, not of China, maybe in the United States. How — how can we believe all these crazy things?”
“You think it’s crazy,” Brennan pressed. “Where did the virus come from?”
“Absolutely crazy,” responded.
“Where did the virus come from?” Brennan asked.
“We still don’t know yet,” Cui responded. “It’s probably according to some initial outcome of the research, probably coming from some animals. But we have to- to discover more about it.”
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