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US says China risks international isolation over covid investigation
Australia’s foreign minister also has warned China must ‘fully comply’ with the next phase of the WHO investigation
China will risk international isolation if it fails to allow an investigation into the origins of Covid, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
This follows several world leaders calling for another investigation into how the virus originated.
Last month, Biden ordered the US intelligence community to “redouble” its efforts to determine where the coronavirus came from.
The US will continue “until we get to the bottom of how this virus came into the world and who has accountability for that”.
Jake Sullivan
The goal is to present China with “a stark choice: Either they will allow, in a responsible way, investigators in to do the real work of figuring out where this came from, or they will face isolation in the international community,” Sullivan said.
Chinese state security minister swaps sides
This follows China’s vice-minister of State Security defecting to the US.
China recently conceded, giving information to authorities about the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
China’s State Security official was responsible for the nation’s counter-intelligence. This defection may be the most significant in the history of the People’s Republic.
Reports have also suggested the official fled to the US via Hong Kong in February this year.
Australia comments on WHO investigation
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne told China to comply with the investigation into the origins of Covid.
This comes amid growing speculation that Covid originally leaked from a lab in Wuhan, which is at the centre of the investigation. China has denied these claims.
Australia’s Foreign minister has refused to comment on the defection. Instead, he’s urged China to comply with the next phase of the WHO investigation.
Meanwhile, the head of the Australian National University’s National Security College cautions of “rumours and reports only”.