According to media reports, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, suspected as early as 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a laboratory accident in Wuhan. However, then-Chancellor Angela Merkel allegedly concealed this information. Now, she has been forced to address the issue once again. Furthermore, Beijing has also responded to the press reports.
A Wuhan Lab After All?
The newspaper Tagesspiegel asked Angela Merkel to comment on the intelligence findings and allegations that she had covered up the matter for political reasons.
“The former Chancellor, Dr. Merkel, fundamentally rejects the accusations made in the question,” said Merkel’s spokesperson.
According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Zeit, and the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) had already concluded in 2020 that the virus likely originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. The German Chancellery was reportedly informed of these findings. However, it was decided to keep them secret.
Merkel’s office advised contacting the German Chancellery, as that is where official documents from her tenure are stored.
The German government—now led by Olaf Scholz—stated that it has taken note of the journalists’ findings. However, it cannot comment on intelligence operations or assessments. Matters of this nature are handled by the relevant parliamentary committees in confidential sessions.
Beijing Dismisses the Allegations as Usual
Following the media reports, China called for restraint.
“When it comes to the coronavirus, China firmly rejects all forms of political maneuvering,” said Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, suggesting that the matter should be left to scientists.
A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) previously investigated the issue and concluded that a virus leak from the Wuhan lab was “highly unlikely.”
According to the WHO, the investigation has not yet been completed, and all hypotheses regarding the origin of SARS-CoV-2 remain on the table.