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Chinese scientists discussed weaponising coronavirus in 2015: Reports

Chinese scientists described SARS coronaviruses — of which Covid is one example — as presenting a “new era of genetic weapons”.

Chinese scientists discussed weaponising coronavirus in 2015: Reports-dnm
Author
Beijing, First Published May 10, 2021, 10:27 AM IST

Chinese military scientists allegedly investigated weaponising coronaviruses five years before the Covid-19 pandemic and may have predicted a World War III fought with biological weapons, according to media reports referring to documents obtained by the US State Department.

A document written by Chinese scientists and health officials before the pandemic in 2015 states that SARS coronaviruses were a "new era of genetic weapons" that could be "artificially manipulated into an emerging human disease virus, then weaponised and unleashed, reported Weekend Australian.

The paper titled The Unnatural Origin of SARS and New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapons suggested that World War Three would be fought with biological weapons. US officials allegedly obtained the papers which were written by military scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015 as part of their own investigation into the origins of Covid-19.

Chinese scientists described SARS coronaviruses — of which Covid is one example — as presenting a “new era of genetic weapons”.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, several of which cause respiratory diseases in humans – ranging from a common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The PLA papers referenced seem to fantasise that a bioweapon attack could cause the “enemy’s medical system to collapse”.

It references work by US Air Force colonel Michael J. Ainscough, who predicted World War III may be fought with bioweapons.

The paper also includes musing that SARS —which hit China in 2003 — could have been a man-made bioweapon deliberately unleashed by “terrorists”.

They reportedly boasted the viruses could be “artificially manipulated into an emerging human disease virus, then weaponised and unleashed in a way never seen before”.

The document lists some of China’s top public health figures among the authors and has been revealed in an upcoming book on the origins of Covid, titled ‘What Really Happened In Wuhan’.

China reported the first Covid-19 case in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and since then the deadly disease has become a pandemic, affecting more than 157,789,300 people and causing over 3,285,200 deaths worldwide.

(With inputs from agency)

NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitize, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona 

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