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Wuhan Institute of Virology (view source)
Revision as of 08:16, February 20, 2021
, 08:16, February 20, 2021no edit summary
The lab was founded in 1956 as the Wuhan Microbiology Laboratory. It has received a total of $7.4 million in grants from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a U.S. agency led by Dr. Anthony Fauci.<ref>Tacopino, Joe, "[https://nypost.com/2020/04/29/dr-fauci-backed-controversial-wuhan-lab-studying-coronavirus/ Dr. Fauci backed funding for controversial Wuhan lab studying origin of coronavirus]", ''New York Post'', April 29, 2020.</ref> In 2015, the lab was upgraded to biosafety level 4 (BSL–4) with the help of French engineers. It is first such lab in China. SARS escaped from a [[Beijing]] lab twice in 2004 and the upgrade was intended to address this problem.<ref>"[https://www.the-scientist.com/news-analysis/sars-escaped-beijing-lab-twice-50137 SARS escaped Beijing lab twice]"</ref> In January 2018 U.S. embassy officials in Beijing warned about safety risks at the Wuhan lab researching infectious diseases, including [[coronavirus]]es from bats. One of two "Sensitive but Unclassified" [[U.S. State Department]] cables warned about biosecurity and management problems at the lab.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/us-officials-sounded-alarm-about-wuhan-lab-years-before-coronavirus-outbreak</ref>
The lab was founded in 1956 as the Wuhan Microbiology Laboratory. It has received a total of $7.4 million in grants from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a U.S. agency led by Dr. Anthony Fauci.<ref>Tacopino, Joe, "[https://nypost.com/2020/04/29/dr-fauci-backed-controversial-wuhan-lab-studying-coronavirus/ Dr. Fauci backed funding for controversial Wuhan lab studying origin of coronavirus]", ''New York Post'', April 29, 2020.</ref> In 2015, the lab was upgraded to biosafety level 4 (BSL–4) with the help of French engineers. It is first such lab in China. SARS escaped from a [[Beijing]] lab twice in 2004 and the upgrade was intended to address this problem.<ref>"[https://www.the-scientist.com/news-analysis/sars-escaped-beijing-lab-twice-50137 SARS escaped Beijing lab twice]"</ref> In January 2018 U.S. embassy officials in Beijing warned about safety risks at the Wuhan lab researching infectious diseases, including [[coronavirus]]es from bats. One of two "Sensitive but Unclassified" [[U.S. State Department]] cables warned about biosecurity and management problems at the lab.<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/us-officials-sounded-alarm-about-wuhan-lab-years-before-coronavirus-outbreak</ref>
Dany Shoham, a former Israeli military intelligence officer who studied Chinese biological warfare, said the Wuhan Institute of Virology is linked to Beijing's covert [[bioweapon]]s program. He said the secure Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory at the institute was engaged in research on the Ebola, Nipah and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses.
The Wuhan virology institute is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but certain laboratories within it “have linkage with the [[PLA]] or BW-related elements within the Chinese defence establishment,” he said. Suspicions were raised about the Wuhan Institute of Virology when a group of Chinese virologists working in Canada improperly sent to China samples of what he described as some of the deadliest viruses on earth, including the Ebola virus.<ref>https://greatgameindia.com/coronavirus-bioweapon/</ref>
In February 2020, Major General Chen Wei, described as China's top biowarfare expert, was placed in charge of the lab.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8003713/China-appoints-military-bio-weapon-expert-secretive-virus-lab-Wuhan.html China 'appoints its top military bio-warfare expert to take over secretive virus lab in Wuhan', sparking conspiracy theories that coronavirus outbreak is linked to Beijing's army]", ''Daily Mail'', 14 February 2020.</ref> CCP boss Yuan Zhiming denied that his lab is the source of the Wuhan virus.<ref>Garger, Kenneth,
In February 2020, Major General Chen Wei, described as China's top biowarfare expert, was placed in charge of the lab.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8003713/China-appoints-military-bio-weapon-expert-secretive-virus-lab-Wuhan.html China 'appoints its top military bio-warfare expert to take over secretive virus lab in Wuhan', sparking conspiracy theories that coronavirus outbreak is linked to Beijing's army]", ''Daily Mail'', 14 February 2020.</ref> CCP boss Yuan Zhiming denied that his lab is the source of the Wuhan virus.<ref>Garger, Kenneth,