Wed Apr 30 12:31:57 UTC 2025: ## China Rebuts US COVID-19 Origin Claims in New White Paper
**Beijing, May 1, 2025** – China has released a white paper refuting claims that COVID-19 originated in the country, instead suggesting the virus may have emerged in the United States. The paper, published Wednesday by the Xinhua news agency, follows recent statements from the White House renewing the “lab leak” theory and placing blame on China.
The White House, in a newly revamped COVID-19 website, accused China of covering up the outbreak and criticized former President Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci. This prompted China’s strong response, accusing the U.S. of politicizing the issue and pointing to a Missouri lawsuit resulting in a $24 billion judgment against China for alleged wrongdoing.
China’s white paper maintains that it shared information with the WHO and international community promptly and highlights a joint WHO-China study concluding that a lab leak was highly improbable. The paper further alleges that substantial evidence suggests COVID-19 may have appeared in the U.S. earlier than officially reported.
This comes after the CIA stated in January that a lab leak in China was the most likely origin of the pandemic, though with low confidence. A Chinese National Health Commission official, as cited by Xinhua, now suggests the focus of origin-tracing investigations should shift to the United States. The ongoing debate continues to highlight the deep political divisions surrounding the pandemic’s origins.
First Piper 