China Peddles Conspiracy Theory That US Army started the virus

[Guest]

Something that had been merely suggested before has now been blown wide into the open in China.

A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, tweeted yesterday that “it might be the US army” that brought the coronavirus to China, giving an official boost to a conspiracy theory that had been allowed to circulate on Chinese social media for weeks. The conspiracy posits that 300 athletes from the US military who in October attended the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan, where the epidemic first broke out, were infected with the virus, thereby spreading it in China.

Zhao’s comment accompanied a video from a US congressional hearing this week on the country’s response to the epidemic. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in the video that some patients who were previously diagnosed to have died from the flu were found to have actually died from the coronavirus. The video began trending on Chinese social network Weibo, with many commenting that they now believe firmly that the US had covered up facts related to the epidemic.

Zhao, who was recently elevated to the spokesperson position at the foreign ministry after building a reputation as a firebrand diplomat who frequently attacks the US, blocked a number of Twitter users who called him out for embarrassing the Chinese government and spreading conspiracy theories on the platform, which remains banned in China. Today, he doubled down on his claims, and shared two articles from Global Research—which claims to be an independent research and media organization based in Montreal—that say there is further proof that the coronavirus originated in the US. “This article is very much important to each and every one of us. Please read and retweet it,” wrote Zhao. The founder of Global Research is a Canadian economist who has espoused conspiracy theories linked to the H1N1 swine flu epidemic and 9/11 in the past.

Source: https://qz.com/1817736/china-fuels-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-blaming-us-army/

I personally think China needs to take their responsibility for this and not accuse the US for their poor hygiene and their nauseating wet markets and whatnot. Moreover, they should refund countries like Italy who has lost a lot of money, and many other in Europe, soon in North America who will have to suffer economically because of this. 

 

[Monsterious 26,867]

first they infect the whole planet and now they wanna accuse other country of doing it?

SHAMELESS

[derpmonster 22,412]

I don't usually believe in conspiracy theories but it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities.  The US government and military have ALWAYS been up to shady business and a lot of former conspiracy theories were eventually confirmed. NOT saying this is the case but don't discount it just like that.

It would be another thing if the US were actually transparent with their military operations. They're not.

Also, China didn't handle the outbreak too well but let's remember this originated there. They didn't have the pre-existing information that other countries did that this was out there and what it was. Blaming it on hygiene has racist and/or xenophobic undertones. Lack of "hygiene" is not the reason the outbreak occurred. A mutation is, and that could've happened anywhere including in the US where people frequently shake hands, touch handles, etc. And of course, some people still spit on the roads and cough in their hands  Many countries trail China in hygiene and there isn't an outbreak happening in those places.

China has made faults and should answer for that. But let's give them credit where it's due and remember things are complex. It's more complicated than "China is dirty and careless, so they infected the world."

[PartySick 172,527]

Does it really matter at this point? When your country is under what basically amounts to martial law due to a virus I'm sure you have more to worry about than conspiracies.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, derpmonster said:

Blaming it on hygiene has racist and/or xenophobic undertones

So China has clean wet markets and clean restaurants etc, you think? Just asking, maybe you think it's clean. I don't hate chinese people, why would I? What have they done to me personally (except giving a deadly virus but you can't hate a chinese person because of that). I'm tired of any criticism of a country is 'racist' except of course the country is from a western world like France or the US, then it's not racist to criticize them.

[Serial Chiller 8,044]

I mean I hate Trump and the US has been shady af but let’s not pretend China is the saint. 

They’re clearly trying to deflect the blame and trying to erase the association with Wuhan. I mean, this isn’t the first time this happened. Was SARS a US bioweapon as well? Geez...

[blankpaper 21]

4 minutes ago, kyanewest said:

So China has clean wet markets and clean restaurants etc, you think? Just asking, maybe you think it's clean. I don't hate chinese people, why would I? What have they done to me personally (except giving a deadly virus but you can't hate a chinese person because of that). I'm tired of any criticism of a country is 'racist' except of course the country is from a western world like France or the US, then it's not racist to criticize them.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/food/story/2020-03-11/coronavirus-china-wet-markets%3f_amp=true 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, blankpaper said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/food/story/2020-03-11/coronavirus-china-wet-markets%3f_amp=true 

"The issue, according to numerous op-ed articles, is when wildlife is introduced into this system. Rightly, critics note that bringing stressed animals of different species, who are all shedding different diseases, into close proximity and without any supervision, is, let’s say, not good for hygiene. At worst, it may provide the breeding ground for COVID-19, SARS and the avian flu."

[Queen Bitch 10,513]

 

[derpmonster 22,412]

Just now, kyanewest said:

So China has clean wet markets and clean restaurants etc, you think?

Which country does?  China is a huge country with clean and dirty parts. And you can't blame the people or the government for everything.

And you're blaming it on that. India has a huge rural population, part of which doesn't even have access to toilets. When was the last outbreak of an epidemic that originated from India? I'm just pointing out the flaw in blaming it on hygiene. Trying to claim non-Western countries have poor hygiene and that's somehow the cause of all problems is a common trope and that's why it's important to mention. 

2 minutes ago, kyanewest said:

What have they done to me personally (except giving a deadly virus

Did you get the virus and are you part of the populations vulnerable to it? If so, I'm very sorry for you and I hope that it gets better + you're able to find medical help. My biggest worry is for immuno-compromised people and those without medical care who may suffer a lot. But blaming it on hygiene is misguided or naive at best.

And no one wanted to "give" anyone the infection (unless we believe conspiracy theories). Things like this have happened throughout human history and will continue to. The best we can do is learn and prepare. But regardless of what we do, viruses will mutate and that is the crux of the issue here. The reason the outbreak was so big was because no one initially even knew what it was or how contagious it was. That's how epidemics work.

[blankpaper 21]

Just now, kyanewest said:

"The issue, according to numerous op-ed articles, is when wildlife is introduced into this system. Rightly, critics note that bringing stressed animals of different species, who are all shedding different diseases, into close proximity and without any supervision, is, let’s say, not good for hygiene. At worst, it may provide the breeding ground for COVID-19, SARS and the avian flu."

Wet markets aren’t the problem

Wildlife markets are

They’re different 

[Software 170]

You guys have no idea what is going on behind the scenes, and it's so hugely absurd that no one would believe it.

[PartySick 172,527]

9 minutes ago, derpmonster said:

Lack of "hygiene" is not the reason the outbreak occurred. A mutation is

Well...China and Trump have one thing in common. Their first reaction is to hide it because it's "embarrassing", the second is to villainze someone else (the US for China, the media and Dems for Trump).

I think holding the Chinese government at fault here is at least somewhat fair just like the eventual REAL outbreak in the US will be Trump and the GOP's fault (btw, they just voted no on the emergency sick leave bill ).

[Chromatic Lover 868]

Okay, let's be real here. The US military have always been up to shady business. I'm not saying that they are responsible for it BUTTTT it doesn't surprise me if it is true. 

 

[Bubblegum Bitch 18,934]

So China wants to play a victim role now?