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Updated January 12th, 2022 at 14:08 IST

US senators seek sanctions over China for 'stonewalling' COVID-19 origin probe

US senators introduced a new bill that would sanction Chinese officials, firms that played part in preventing independent probe in China over COVID-19 origin.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
US
Image: AP/Shutterstock/Representative | Image:self
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In the latest blow to deteriorating ties between Beijing and Washington, United States senators introduced a new bill that would sanction Chinese officials and organisations that played any part in "stonewalling" or preventing an independent investigation in China to determine COVID-19 origin. Republican senators Chuck Grassley and Marco Rubio introduced the "Coronavirus Origin Validation, Investigation, and Determination (COVID) Act of 2022," said Grassley’s office on Tuesday. 

The official statement by Grassley’s office said that the bill would authorise sanctions, if even 90 days after the enactment, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) still refuses to allow a credible and comprehensive international investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak which is first known to have spread in Wuhan. Grassley noted the COVID-19 death toll in the United States so far due to the “devastating virus” and called for answers “especially if the Chinese Communist Party is responsible for either unleashing this virus or covering it up”.

He added, “Our bill requires an investigation into COVID-19’s origins and holds China accountable by sanctioning those who’ve stonewalled independent investigations. We ought to make sure there are harsh consequences for any individual or organization that played a part in starting or perpetuating this pandemic.”

‘CCP has stonewalled all efforts’, says Marco Rubio

Meanwhile, Marco Rubio said, “For two years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has stonewalled all efforts to uncover the true origins of COVID-19…We know the virus originated in China, however, the CCP’s attempts to obfuscate the truth has led to countless deaths and needless suffering worldwide.  It is clear that Beijing will only respond to concerted pressure from the United States and the international community. My bill will force the CCP to the table.”

It is to note that specifically, the bill would be sanctioning the leadership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and its affiliated institutes and laboratories, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). WIV, which is known to be carrying out research on animal-borne viruses, has also emerged as the centre of the lab leak theory as COVID-19 origin. The bill also called the "COVID Act of 2022" would suspend federal research funding across all academic fields for the studies that involve CAS. The official release added that the bill “would prohibit gain-of-function virus research cooperation for any individual or institution based in the United States that receives federal funding.”

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Published January 12th, 2022 at 14:08 IST

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