A new assessment from the CIA suggests that the Covid outbreak is "more likely" to have originated from a lab in China than from a natural animal source. However, the agency has acknowledged holding “low confidence” in this conclusion due to inconclusive evidence.
The report was released shortly after John Ratcliffe assumed office as CIA director under President Trump’s second term. Ratcliffe has been vocal about the need to investigate the virus's origins and has made it a priority. Speaking on Friday, he stated:
One of the things that I've talked about a lot is addressing the threat from China on a number of fronts, and that goes back to why a million Americans died and why the Central Intelligence Agency has been sitting on the sidelines for five years in not making an assessment about the origins of COVID. That's a day-one thing for me.
Chinese authorities, however, have dismissed the CIA's findings as politically motivated. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the United States, denounced the report, calling it a baseless attempt to stigmatize China.
We firmly oppose the politicisation and stigmatisation of the source of the virus, and once again call on everyone to respect science and stay away from conspiracy theories.
The CIA’s stance has reignited debates over the lab leak theory, which some experts argue lacks substantial evidence. Many scientists continue to support the theory that the virus spread naturally from animals, potentially originating in the Wuhan wet market.
Experts also warn that the true origins of the virus may never be known, citing a lack of cooperation from the Chinese government as a major obstacle to a definitive investigation.
The assessment has deepened geopolitical tensions, with both sides holding firmly to opposing narratives, leaving the world no closer to uncovering the origins of the pandemic.