Reporter : Zhu Ying
Editor : Ming Xuan
Publisher : New Tang Dynasty Television
Ref : https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2020/04/23/a102830124.html
Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image : Aerial view of the P4 laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, central China. (HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP via Getty Images)
After a sudden SARS-CoV-2 outbreak broke out in Wuhan, China, it quickly spread to the whole world. So far, the pandemic has caused more than 2.65 million diagnosed infections worldwide, and more than 180,000 patients have died. Wuhan Institute of Virology has been strongly suspected by public opinion because it has studied bat coronaviruses that are very similar to this virus. Some media outlets in France disclosed the inside story that French experts were forced to withdraw by the Chinese side when the Chinese-French partnership was building a virus P4 laboratory in Wuhan.
Radio France recently published an investigation report, which revealed the process of designing and constructing the P4 laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology by the French experts sent in cooperation with China. The report said that the French-Chinese cooperation project "was full of questions and controversies from the beginning."
According to reports, after the SARS epidemic in 2003, the China Communist Party (CCP) authorities began planning to establish a P4 virus research laboratory in China. The following year (2004), when former French President Chirac visited China, he agreed with the leaders of the CCP to build a P4 virus laboratory.
Initially, some French experts on bacterial warfare opposed this cooperation because of China's lack of transparency. SGDSN (French National Defense and National Security General Secretariat) also worried that the P4 laboratory might become the CCP's biological arsenal. But at the time, some French experts believed that it was necessary to help China study new viruses, especially to provide China with good research conditions, thinking that it would avoid allowing Chinese people to fiddle with the virus without the corresponding equipment and necessary knowledge. In other words, instead of letting them "fool around" themselves, it is better to take the initiative to help them build a high-quality P4 laboratory.
In the end, French politicians did not listen to the objections of experts and agreed to the project. China then chose to build this virus laboratory in the suburbs of Wuhan.
In 2008, the two sides jointly established a steering committee, which was jointly led by Alan Merrier of France and Chen Zhu of China. In 2010, the Sarkozy government informed the WHO that relevant projects had begun. 15 very professional French small and medium-sized enterprises have provided support for the establishment of laboratories. This project is responsible for the design and technical guidance of the laboratory by the French side, and most of the construction work is undertaken by the Chinese company.
According to experts, “The architecture of P4 is very complicated, and the layout of its enclosed and isolated space requires specific technology and knowledge.” The French have technical capabilities in this area, but the Chinese side has not completely completed the process of building the Wuhan P4 laboratory. To do so in accordance with the requirements of the French side, the Chinese side however guarded against and excluded French experts everywhere. This made French experts very disappointed. If they wanted to stop the project, they could not do it.
According to the Figaro report, an expert said, “France is just a medium power, and it is unable to stop a project because it cannot withstand the economic retaliation that ensued.” He continued, “We are in a weak position. The Chinese are seeking to acquire our technology. Sometimes, we go further because we are afraid of being blackmailed. "
A French diplomat said that the French authorities "made mistakes because of innocence. They think the Chinese can be trusted." He added that the case "has always been complicated. We give ourselves written guarantees, but we are not sure if they can enforce these guarantees. "
In 2015, Alain Mérieux resigned as chairman of the bilateral committee due to the disappointment that China-France cooperation did not materialize. The 50 French researchers who had planned to work in the Wuhan P4 laboratory for 5 years have not and cannot make their trips to the laboratory.
After Alan Merrier left, he told reporters of Radio France in Beijing, "I gave up the co-chairmanship of P4. This is a very Chinese tool, even if it was developed with the technical assistance of France, it belongs to them (Beijing regime). "
In fact, the laboratory gradually got rid of the control of French scientists and violated the original intention of the "contract" concluded between Paris and Beijing.
Alan Merrier himself confirmed in the investigation team of Radio France, "Without leaking state secrets, we can say that since 2016, the Chinese and French infectious disease committees have never held a meeting." He admitted that, contrary to the original promise, the Chinese Academy of Sciences worked without French researchers.
In addition, according to The Washington Post report, in January 2018, members of the U.S. Embassy visited the newly constructed P4 virus laboratory, and then warned Washington about studies of the bat coronaviruses in this laboratory, Not enough security measures have been taken.
Editor : Ming Xuan
Publisher : New Tang Dynasty Television
Ref : https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2020/04/23/a102830124.html
Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image : Aerial view of the P4 laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, central China. (HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP via Getty Images)
After a sudden SARS-CoV-2 outbreak broke out in Wuhan, China, it quickly spread to the whole world. So far, the pandemic has caused more than 2.65 million diagnosed infections worldwide, and more than 180,000 patients have died. Wuhan Institute of Virology has been strongly suspected by public opinion because it has studied bat coronaviruses that are very similar to this virus. Some media outlets in France disclosed the inside story that French experts were forced to withdraw by the Chinese side when the Chinese-French partnership was building a virus P4 laboratory in Wuhan.
Radio France recently published an investigation report, which revealed the process of designing and constructing the P4 laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology by the French experts sent in cooperation with China. The report said that the French-Chinese cooperation project "was full of questions and controversies from the beginning."
According to reports, after the SARS epidemic in 2003, the China Communist Party (CCP) authorities began planning to establish a P4 virus research laboratory in China. The following year (2004), when former French President Chirac visited China, he agreed with the leaders of the CCP to build a P4 virus laboratory.
Initially, some French experts on bacterial warfare opposed this cooperation because of China's lack of transparency. SGDSN (French National Defense and National Security General Secretariat) also worried that the P4 laboratory might become the CCP's biological arsenal. But at the time, some French experts believed that it was necessary to help China study new viruses, especially to provide China with good research conditions, thinking that it would avoid allowing Chinese people to fiddle with the virus without the corresponding equipment and necessary knowledge. In other words, instead of letting them "fool around" themselves, it is better to take the initiative to help them build a high-quality P4 laboratory.
In the end, French politicians did not listen to the objections of experts and agreed to the project. China then chose to build this virus laboratory in the suburbs of Wuhan.
In 2008, the two sides jointly established a steering committee, which was jointly led by Alan Merrier of France and Chen Zhu of China. In 2010, the Sarkozy government informed the WHO that relevant projects had begun. 15 very professional French small and medium-sized enterprises have provided support for the establishment of laboratories. This project is responsible for the design and technical guidance of the laboratory by the French side, and most of the construction work is undertaken by the Chinese company.
According to experts, “The architecture of P4 is very complicated, and the layout of its enclosed and isolated space requires specific technology and knowledge.” The French have technical capabilities in this area, but the Chinese side has not completely completed the process of building the Wuhan P4 laboratory. To do so in accordance with the requirements of the French side, the Chinese side however guarded against and excluded French experts everywhere. This made French experts very disappointed. If they wanted to stop the project, they could not do it.
According to the Figaro report, an expert said, “France is just a medium power, and it is unable to stop a project because it cannot withstand the economic retaliation that ensued.” He continued, “We are in a weak position. The Chinese are seeking to acquire our technology. Sometimes, we go further because we are afraid of being blackmailed. "
A French diplomat said that the French authorities "made mistakes because of innocence. They think the Chinese can be trusted." He added that the case "has always been complicated. We give ourselves written guarantees, but we are not sure if they can enforce these guarantees. "
In 2015, Alain Mérieux resigned as chairman of the bilateral committee due to the disappointment that China-France cooperation did not materialize. The 50 French researchers who had planned to work in the Wuhan P4 laboratory for 5 years have not and cannot make their trips to the laboratory.
After Alan Merrier left, he told reporters of Radio France in Beijing, "I gave up the co-chairmanship of P4. This is a very Chinese tool, even if it was developed with the technical assistance of France, it belongs to them (Beijing regime). "
In fact, the laboratory gradually got rid of the control of French scientists and violated the original intention of the "contract" concluded between Paris and Beijing.
Alan Merrier himself confirmed in the investigation team of Radio France, "Without leaking state secrets, we can say that since 2016, the Chinese and French infectious disease committees have never held a meeting." He admitted that, contrary to the original promise, the Chinese Academy of Sciences worked without French researchers.
In addition, according to The Washington Post report, in January 2018, members of the U.S. Embassy visited the newly constructed P4 virus laboratory, and then warned Washington about studies of the bat coronaviruses in this laboratory, Not enough security measures have been taken.
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