Chinareportedly hid coronavirus' severity to hoard supplies
By Associated Press
8:04am May 4, 202
US officials believe China covered up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak – and how contagious thedisease is – in order to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it,intelligence documents show.
Chinese leaders "intentionally concealed theseverity" of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to afour-page Department of Homeland Security report dated May 1 and obtained byThe Associated Press.
The revelation comes as the Trump administrationintensified its criticism of China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying today that China was responsible for the spread of disease and must be held accountable.
The sharper rhetoric against China coincides withadministration critics saying the government's response to the virus wasinadequate and slow.
President Donald Trump's political opponents haveaccused the president and his administration of lashing out at China, ageopolitical foe but critical US trade partner, in an attempt to deflectcriticism at home.
The analysis states that, while downplaying theseverity of the coronavirus, China increased imports and decreased exports ofmedical supplies.
It attempted to cover up doing so by "denyingthere were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of itstrade data", the analysis states.
The report also says China held off informing the World Health Organisation that the coronavirus "was a contagion" for much of January so it could order medical supplies from abroad – and that its imports of face masks and surgical gowns and gloves increased sharply.
A crew gets ready to unload medical supplies from an Antonov AN-225 cargo transporter upon arriving from China at Mirabel Airport in Mirabel, Quebec. (AP)
Thoseconclusions are based on the 95 percent probability that China's changes inimports and export behavior were not within normal range, according to thereport.
Mr Trumphas speculated that China could have unleashed the coronavirus due to some kindof horrible "mistake".
Hisintelligence agencies say they are still examining a notion put forward by thepresident and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chineselab.
SpeakingSunday on ABC America's "This Week", Mr Pompeo said he had no reason to believe that the virus was deliberatelyspread.
But headded, "Remember, China has a history of infecting the world, and theyhave a history of running substandard laboratories".
