- China has attempted to shift the blame for the outbreak of COVID-19 by suggesting the virus began from imported frozen meat such as Australian steak
- In an article by the Global Times, a state-sanctioned newspaper, reporters argue the deadly virus could’ve come from contaminated frozen food products
- The theory has been repeatedly shot down by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with investigators instead citing Wuhan wet markets as the source
- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, sparking China’s ire
- Relations between the two countries have soured, with Beijing implementing a series of tough trade tariffs on a number of Aussie products
China has attempted to shift the blame for the global COVID-19 pandemic by suggesting the virus began from imported frozen meat such as Australian steak.
In an article published by the Global Times, a state-sanctioned newspaper, reporters argue the deadly virus could’ve originated from contaminated frozen food products like steak.
“Some Western politicians and media sought to shift the narrative from their own shortcomings by targeting and accusing Wuhan as being ‘where the coronavirus began’,” the article states.
It goes on to accuse a number of countries, including Australia, of potentially importing infected meat into Wuhan, explaining why the virus was first detected there at the start of the pandemic.
“The possibility that the coronavirus was passed on from cold-chain products into Wuhan, or more specifically, to the Huanan wet market, where the sale of frozen products were once prevalent, cannot be ruled out,” the article read.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has repeatedly shot down this theory, with investigators instead citing Wuhan wet markets as the likely origin.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and China’s role in reporting the virus.
The move sparked immediate anger from Beijing, with the country slapping a range of harsh tariffs on Australian goods as believed payback.