Revisiting the Origins: China’s Stance on COVID-19’s Emergence

The Chinese government has released a thorough document detailing its findings on the origins of COVID-19, suggesting that the United States could be a potential source. This assertion is based on a review of existing data, including a joint study with the World Health Association (WHO) conducted in 2021. The white paper, officially titled White book on China’s actions and position on the prevention and control of COVID-19 and the tracking of the virus origin, presents a multifaceted perspective on the virus’s emergence, challenging previous assumptions and calling for further investigation.

There is the possibility that the new Coronavirus epidemic that occurred in the Marisco de Huanan (wuhan) wholesale market at the end of 2019 has been introduced from abroad through the cold chain.

White book on China’s actions and position on the prevention and control of COVID-19 and the tracking of the virus origin

The WHO Investigation: A Recap of Key Findings

The joint WHO-China study in 2021 explored several potential pathways for the virus’s introduction. These included:

• Introduction via an intermediate animal host (rated possible to very likely)
• Direct zoonotic transmission (rated possible to probable)
• Introduction through contaminated cold chain products (rated possible)
• A laboratory leak (deemed extremely unlikely)

While the lab leak theory has gained traction in some circles, the WHO continues to emphasize the importance of investigating zoonotic origins. As of 2025, global efforts to identify the intermediate animal host remain ongoing, with researchers focusing on wildlife markets and animal farms in Southeast Asia.

China’s Perspective: Shifting the Focus Beyond Wuhan

chinese authorities maintain that research indicates Wuhan may not be the original source of COVID-19. They cite molecular tracking, animal studies, and cold chain investigations as evidence supporting this claim.The government asserts that, lacking contradictory evidence to the WHO report, their research into the virus’s origin is complete. Though, this stance contrasts with the WHO’s repeated calls for more data and openness from Beijing to fully understand the pandemic’s beginnings.

U.S. Respiratory Outbreaks: A Potential Early Sign?

The white paper highlights respiratory disease outbreaks reported in the United States between May and October 2019. These cases, initially attributed to e-cigarette-associated pneumonia (EVALI), presented symptoms similar to COVID-19, including cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. some patients experienced severe lung damage, leading to hospitalizations and fatalities. The first cases emerged in Illinois and Wisconsin in March 2019, with the first death recorded in August of the same year. By November 2020, over 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths were linked to EVALI.

Moreover, the document references a U.S. National Institutes of health (NIH) study suggesting the virus may have been circulating in the U.S. as early as late December 2019, before the first officially reported cases. it also mentions a mysterious disease affecting communities in northern Virginia in July 2019, resulting in 54 illnesses and two deaths. These incidents, coupled with the temporary closure of the Fort Detrick Biological Weapons Programs Center in the summer of 2019 due to safety concerns, have prompted Beijing to demand a serious scientific explanation from Washington.

The United States has long suffered frequent biosafety accidents in laboratories. All these doubts suggest that the outbreak could occur before the announced and before in China.

White book on China’s actions and position on the prevention and control of COVID-19 and the tracking of the virus origin

China is now advocating for a thorough investigation into the virus’s origin within the United States.

Cold Chain Transmission: Investigating Frozen Food Pathways

The Chinese government’s investigation also focused on the potential role of cold chain transmission. Data indicates that the initial COVID-19 cases in Wuhan appeared between mid-November and early December 2019, with the first confirmed case on December 8. Subsequent outbreaks in the Xinfadi market in Beijing and the city of dalian primarily affected market workers. In September 2020, two cases were detected in Qingdao involving cargo operators with no travel history or contact with infected individuals. Samples from frozen food packaging tested positive for COVID-19 nucleic acid,and genetic analysis confirmed transmission from this material.

In contrast,extensive testing of over 80,000 samples from wild animals (including bats,pangolins,and wild birds) and farm animals across China yielded no trace of the virus. Additionally, a Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences study in early 2020 analyzed bats in Wuhan and surrounding areas without detecting any coronavirus genetic sequences. In 2023,the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published findings that 457 animal samples from the Huanan market tested negative for COVID-19.