China 'pushing' theory of Maine lobsters, Brazilian beef, Saudi shrimps spreading COVID-19

China’s state media is touting the theory of Coronavirus is spread because of Brazilian beef, Saudi shrimps and Maine lobsters, according to the researcher who studied hundreds of accounts with pro-Chian agenda. Researcher Marcel Schliebs, while writing for international think tank Policy Research Group (POREG) has identified “hundreds of accounts affiliated with pro-China agenda-pushing forward the theory of exported cold meats being a reason for the spread of coronavirus.”

“The Chinese state media seems interested in proving that beef from Brazil, shrimp from Saudi Arabia and pork from the USA are the reason coronavirus is spreading,” stated POREG’s ‘China watcher.’

The report, published on the official website has stated that the latest edition of such claims by China, it has stated that lobsters from Maine are the sole reason behind the drastic spread of Coronavirus, which was first detected in the country in late 2019 before engulfing the entire world in chaos. Notably, Schliebs analysed the Twitter feed of several pro-China accounts for nearly 18 months and derived that the ‘Maine lobster theory’ was pushed by a Chinese diplomat posted to the Kolkata consulate, Zha Liyou.

The report stated, “Zha Liyou posted this theory in November 2019 and it has resulted in the snowball effect. Both wholesale lobster suppliers and the Centre for Disease Control in Maine have categorically stated that these claims have no basis in facts but China has turned a deaf ear to their assertions.”

It is pertinent to note that China has remained under fire ever since COVID-19, the disease caused by Coronavirus, started spreading across the globe. While it has been known that SARS-CoV-2 is an animal-origin virus, the exact source of the pathogen is still contested even more than a year after it was first discovered in China’s Wuhan. Schliebs stated that “One can see a correlation between the growing international concerns about China’s Wuhan city being the epicentre of coronavirus and these contaminated meat accusations. China, in an attempt to counter the narrative, seems to be promoting the contaminated meat theory.”

Chinese state media quoted WHO’s claims

Furthermore, the “comrades” have attempted to promote their story of seafood being the reason for Coronavirus spread by quoting the World Health Organization (WHO) when the United Nations (UN) health agency said that the virus can live for several hours on surfaces of cardboard and plastics. By citing WHO’s claims, the state media have “concluded it can thus be passed on to human beings.” 

In batting the theory, China has ramped up its inspection of the site posing “real hassle” for both the European Union and the United States. The POREG researcher noted that the “Biggest issue being while the officers insist on inspecting the produce it has been noticed that half of it rots away since the process is slow. WHO in an attempt to navigate a rock and a hard place has stated that they have asked for the evidence on which China has based its new inspection policy but has received no such proof thus far.”

Schliebs said in the report said, “An Oxford team reviewed 60 peer review studies and found no virus can be passed from surfaces to humans.”

“However, one correlation at the very least has become obvious; the correlation between any country taking a stance against the CCP policies in any way and China claiming their food is contaminated and thus hurting that countries exports,” it added. “It is fairly obvious that China is using every bit of their position as a growing superpower to keep the rest of the world in check in terms of questioning their agenda and policies within mainland China and territories that China claims as their own.”

(IMAGE: AP/Pixabay)