Newly declassified documents highlight concerning links between Chinese military researchers and U.S.-based labs, raising national security questions.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Declassified documents released in a Senate committee report allege that a Chinese military scientist secretly shipped coronavirus-related vials to a Minnesota research laboratory in 2018, more than a year before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. 📺 DETAIL: According to a declassified Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents intercepted three vials wrapped in a paper towel and sealed with wax from a courier at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The courier identified the sender as Yusen Zhou, a researcher affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who died in 2020. The vials were reportedly destined for University of Minnesota professor Li Fang, whose research received funding from the National Institutes of Health and was linked to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The report states that U.S. authorities believe the Wuhan lab is the most likely origin of the pandemic. It also warns that some of Li’s research collaborators have ties to the PLA and China’s Thousand Talents recruitment program, raising national security concerns. 🎯 IMPACT: The revelation raises serious questions about the extent of Chinese military involvement in virus research and the potential risks posed by collaborations with U.S. institutions. |
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