Beijing, China — Chinese authorities announced they are preparing to publish what they describe as the strongest evidence to date suggesting that COVID-19 did not originate in Wuhan, China, but rather in the United States, a move certain to intensify a long-running international dispute over the pandemic’s beginnings.
State media and officials say the forthcoming material — reportedly including previously unreleased documents and intelligence — will directly challenge the widely accepted scientific and global narrative that places the earliest outbreak in central China in late 2019. Chinese spokespeople have hinted that the new evidence is substantial, but details have not yet been disclosed.
China’s foreign ministry has argued for years that the origins of the virus should be investigated globally and scientifically, accusing Western nations of politicizing the issue. Beijing previously rejected U.S. and Western intelligence assessments suggesting a lab-related incident or natural spillover in Wuhan, instead calling those claims “baseless” and urging Washington to share its own early-case data with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The announcement comes amid a broader backdrop of ongoing debate and conflicting positions:
U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, have publicly assessed that a lab leak origin is possible, although with low confidence and not conclusive.
Western scientific assessments continue to emphasize that no definitive evidence has established the virus’s source, with natural spillover from animals still considered plausible by many experts. China has reiterated its stance that laboratory origins are “highly unlikely,” citing joint China-WHO investigations and emphasizing the need for scientific — rather than political — inquiry.
International responses to Beijing’s announcement have varied, with analysts and policymakers questioning whether the claimed evidence will withstand scientific scrutiny or shift established scientific consensus. Many expect that any release of new material will trigger fresh debate among epidemiologists, intelligence analysts, and governments worldwide.
Beijing has promised a “full disclosure” soon, though it has not specified a release date or outlined what form the evidence will take.
