Name: COVID-19 May Have Been Connected to China’s Bioweapons Program: GOP Report
Uploaded: 2025-01-04T21:13:39.000Z
Description: A new unclassified report (<a href="https://republicans-intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/final_unclass_summary_-_covid_origins_report_.pdf">pdf</a>) released by Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee alleges that COVID-19 “may have been tied” to China’s biological weapons research program.

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

NTD Plus

News

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

EU Accuses TikTok of Failing Child Protections

Former Sen. Joe Manchin Reenters Politics Aged 78

Court Allows Tennessee’s Pro-GOP Electoral Map

Iran Threatens UK Bases Used by US

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

Trump Is Doing What He Has a Moral and Legal Right to Do: Economist on Anti-Forced Labor Tariffs

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

Hiring Veterans: Turning Military Skills Into Civilian Careers

Fiona Ji is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers local news.

Fiona Ji

DC Candlelight Vigil Commemorates Victims of CCP's Persecution of Falun Gong

Juliette Fairley is a freelance reporter for NTD and The Epoch Times and a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Born in Chateauroux, France, and raised outside of Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Juliette is a well-adjusted military brat. She has written for many publications across the country. Send Juliette story ideas at JulietteFairley@gmail.com

Juliette Fairley

Weather

Flood Emergency Brings National Guard to West Virginia

New US Tariffs on Canada Target Risks from Wildfire Management: Economist

Treasury Blocks Federal Payments to Deceased People

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 24)

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 20)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 17)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 16)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 15)

Kevin Hogan is an NTD News data reporter and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Kevin covers breaking news, as well as U.S. and global current events. He conveys the news through data visualizations and investigates pressing issues.

Kevin Hogan

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 14)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 13)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 10)

Tom Gantert is a reporter for The Epoch Times.

Tom Gantert

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

US News

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Uses Recent Speeches to Warn Americans of Resurging Communism

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Shows

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2.8 Million People in China Evacuated Amid Typhoon Bavi

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Congress

House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

NTD Films

NTD+ Movies

The Unrestricted War

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died After Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says

Mary Man is a writer for NTD. She has traveled around the world covering China, international news, and arts and culture.

Mary Man

China News

China Floods: Thousands at Risk After Multiple Dams Collapse in Guangxi

Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.

Jackson Richman

House Passes Defense Policy Bill That Attaches SAVE America Act

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

World News

Middle East

Iran

US, Iran Launch New Strikes; Trump Warns Ceasefire May Collapse

Bringing you the latest videos, livestreams, and premieres.


NTD Video

Label

Live

NTD+ Live

Trump Signs Executive Order at White House (June 29)

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. 

Jack Phillips

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

Leavitt Previews Trump's Thursday Election Speech

A new unclassified report (<a href="https://republicans-intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/final_unclass_summary_-_covid_origins_report_.pdf">pdf</a>) released by Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee alleges that COVID-19 “may have been tied” to China’s biological weapons research program.

Released on Dec. 14 by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and other Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), the minority report states that “there are indications that SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China’s biological weapons research program and spilled over to the human population during a lab-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).”

“The Committee has not seen any indications that the Chinese military intentionally released SARS-CoV-2,” the report adds.

At a press conference on Thursday, Wenstrup discussed the report’s findings, noting that many questions remain unanswered.

“This is about just trying to find truth and get to the facts,” he said. “And, you know, we’re not putting blame game out there. There may come a point where we have to, but right now, we don’t have evidence in that direction. But we have a lot of evidence that raises eyebrows and encourages us to drive on further.”

Workers are seen inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 23, 2017. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)


<h2><strong>Challenging the Intelligence Community</strong></h2>
In October 2021, the Director of National Intelligence’s (DNI) office released an update to its declassified assessment (<a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Declassified-Assessment-on-COVID-19-Origins.pdf">pdf</a>) of the origins of COVID-19, which asserted that SARS-CoV-2 was “probably not a biological weapon.”

“We remain skeptical of allegations that SARS-CoV-2 was a biological weapon,” the assessment states, “because they are supported by scientifically invalid claims, their proponents do not have direct access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), or their proponents are suspected of spreading disinformation.”

However, the Wednesday report characterizes that assessment as “misleading,” stating that the declassified assessment withheld important information from the public that was available in the classified version—a move Republicans on the HPSCI hold “likely skewed the public’s understanding of key issues.”

“The declassified report claimed the IC [intelligence community] was able to reach ‘broad agreement’ that the virus was not developed as a biological weapon,” the report states. “Despite the fact the IC relayed its confidence levels for nearly every other assessment in the declassified report—low confidence, moderate confidence, etc.—the IC failed to disclose to the public its confidence level regarding this bioweapons assessment.”

Additionally, the report states that, in its classified assessment, the IC claimed to lack key information regarding whether SARS-CoV-2 may have been linked to China’s bioweapons program. However, according to the GOP HPSCI report, that same information was found in other intelligence reporting.

“Given what was found in other intelligence reporting,” the report notes, “the Committee pressed the IC to clarify the discrepancy in the Updated Assessment – i.e., why did you claim you did not know the answer to this key issue when there is evidence to the contrary? – the IC failed to respond.”

The committee further states in its report that it has “reason to believe that the IC downplayed the possibility that SARS-CoV2 was connected to China’s bioweapons program based in part on input from outside experts.”

The report also notes that the intelligence committee has “failed to comply” with numerous requests for information—including bipartisan committee questions about the experts relied upon for its assessment.

Touching on that noncompliance Thursday, Wenstrup said: “We should know who is making these decisions and how are they coming to their conclusions. I think that’s our responsibility as oversight, and to date, we have not received that information.”

While acknowledging that certain information should be kept classified in the interest of national security, the congressman noted: “We’re a select committee for a reason. There’s nothing they should be keeping from us.”

The committee, Wenstrup added, will seek to declassify its full investigative report.
<h2><strong>Bipartisan Concerns</strong></h2>
A separate majority report (<a href="https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/declassified_hpsci_covid_deep_dive_12.14.2022.pdf">pdf</a>) released Wednesday by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee expressed additional concerns regarding the intelligence community.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the committee, noted in the report that a 2020 review of the IC’s pandemic preparedness found that “the intelligence community was not well positioned or prepared to provide early warning and unique insights on the pandemic.”

While the Democrats’ report also places the blame for the country’s response to the pandemic at the feet of former President Donald Trump, it also holds that the intelligence community failed to properly address the level of threat to national security that the pandemic posed.

“Already, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has made several important changes advocated by the Committee, including prioritization of global health security threats,” Schiff added. “Additionally, the IC has made numerous correlating organizational changes, but much more is necessary. It is my hope the IC will commit to making the other recommended changes and to working with Congress on those that require legislative action.”

A spokesperson for the DNI’s office declined to comment on either report.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/covid-19-may-have-been-connected-to-chinas-bioweapons-program-gop-report_4926451.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Videos

house intelligence committee

04_Top Stories

Latest Clips

COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 origins

Samantha Flom is a reporter for The Epoch Times covering U.S. politics and news. A graduate of Syracuse University, she has a background in journalism and nonprofit communications.
Contact her at samantha.flom@epochtimes.us

Samantha Flom

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

COVID-19 May Have Been Connected to China’s Bioweapons Program: GOP Report

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 24)

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 24)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 23)

Special Coverage

2026 Rally and March to End the Persecution of Falun Dafa

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 23)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 20)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 20)

Chris Beers is an NTD News anchor and political correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Chris co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.