70/n Part-4 #ChineseVirus #Biowarfare
Till Part-3 I explained how SHI Zhengli & her team was busy extracting more sources for Corona-virus and methods to make it effective on Humans.
In this part, I take story further, telling story suing this paper by D Sohum.
Read & Share
71/n As per the abstract,
A)12 facilities affiliated with the defense establishment, 30 facilities affiliated with the PLA, are involved in research, development, production, testing or storage of #Biowarfare .
B)China will persist as a paramount BW possessor."
72/n Dr Soham, explains that how with advanced Genome Study facilities China is capable of engineering #BioWeapons to affect particular "Ethnic Groups".
I had discussed about it in 1st part of this series as well.
He then begins explaining why China is so much into #BioWeapon
73/n He gives 3 factors for China's affinity for #BioWarfare:
1) ~270,000 Chinese Soldiers & Civilians were killed by Japanese Germ-Warfare between 1933-45.
2)Belief that the US conducted BW offensive operations in China(1950–53),& US possessed an operational BW arsenal (1950-72)
74/n 3) USSR conducted experiments with plague, anthrax & cholera in Soviet occupied Mongolia.
Later on, tests with various vaccines were conducted by the USSR in Mongolia for a long period of time.
75/n With communist brotherhood between China & USSR, & their general cooperation led a lot to Chinese awareness and about the colossal BW programme .
So before China, USA & USSR were already indulged in #Biowarfare since post WWII.
76/n All those factors have been inferred from the comprehensive study published in 1999—entitled China and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Implications for the United States(US National Intelligence Council and Federal Research Division)
Link: fas.org/irp/nic/china_…
77/n So all these factors had solidly formed perspectives that shaped PLA's approaches and outlooks regarding BW, resulting in extensive defensive as well as offensive programmes.
78/n 12 years after opening of Biological Warfare Convention, China joined it in in 1984.
US had been accusing China for offensive BW programmes. The Presidents Jiang Zemin and Bill Clinton made joint statement in June 1998 speaking of complete eviction of #Biowarfare .
79/n Post that joint statement steps were being taken (at least to be seen).
17/10/2002, China declared that it never developed, produced or stockpiled any biological weapons, and never assisted any country to acquire or develop these weapons.
Truth was otherwise(read Part-2,3)
80/n USA still suspicious of China's engagement with BW keeps accusations going on.
Resulting which in 2007, 2008, China does declare disarmament of BW as urgent step.
81/n In 2009, China talks of cooperation yet again.
It also said ‘Information about any outbreak of acute infectious diseases should be shared in accordance with the current practice of relevant international organizations.’ But it itself defy in in Nov 2002.
82/n November 2002—SARS epidemic broke out in the country. China had reported @WHO only in Feb 2003 (the causative virus spread from
China to 37 countries) during three months.
83/n China had claimed of only one biohazard installation with maximal safety level (P4) throughout the country.
Uniquely, across China, the Wuhan Institute of Virology is the sole facility that is equipped with such biohazard measure, furnished by a French supplier.
84/n The WIV, investigates highly virulent viruses, such as SARS14, influenza H5N115, Japanese encephalitis, and dengue.
The germ causing anthrax is also studied at the Institute(which is beyond the discipline of virology).
85/n Dr Soham noted that China till 2014-15, had violated various aspects of BWC and had becoming a very dangerous state in terms of #Biowarfare
86/n Dr Soham does cites this paper to support his claims:
Jinsong, Li, ‘Laboratory Biosafety of Pathogenic Microorganisms in China’, in Amy E. Smithson (ed.), Beijing on Biohazards: Chinese Experts on Bioweapons
Nonproliferation Issues, Monterey
87/n Korean War (1950–53), we observe PLA's #Biowarfare in for of sanitation/anti-plague
units, with involvement of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army in Korea. At the same time, intensive educational campaigns for supposed BW casualties was done.
88/n 1954, PLA delegations and students visited the USSR for training in microbiology and infectious diseases.
China declared officially that its BWs defense programme was initiated in 1958.
89/n Reports state that by mid 1970s, China had both defensive and offensive BWP.
They certainly were interested in having sub-nuclear weapon of mass destruction.
90/n USA did state that China was engaged in development, production, stockpiling, maintenance of biological warfare agents.’
A Paper published in Pentagon claimed that China’s BWP includes manufacturing of infectious microorganisms and toxins.
91/n 1993, US intelligence officials stated in high probability China had an active and expanding offensive BWs programme, after the assessment that two civilian-run biological research centers were actually controlled by the Chinese military.
92/n 1991, The American suspicions intensified when one of the suspected China’s Biological Warfare Programme biological centres was enlarged.
93/n Suspicions further intensified after Beijing made, a ‘patently false’ declaration to the @UN that it had never made any germ weapons or conducted any work to bolster defenses against a biological attack.
94/n In 1995,Presi Clinton in a report said: ‘There are strong indications that China probably maintains its offensive BW program.’
2001,US Dept of Defense:‘China possesses the munitions production capabilities necessary to develop, produce and weaponize biological agents’.
95/n USA had been pointing out till 2007 that China indeed was engaged in offensive, defensive BWP.
It also said that all data submitted by China have been inaccurate. Interestingly despite such laboratories in place, China never acknowledged of having a BWP.
96/n Based on intelligence given bu CIA & DIA, USA certainly believed that China had kept all BW arsenal hidden.
97/n China does have completely organised Administrative System to take care of #Biowarfare Program.
This also includes members specially from PLA.
98/n The Central Military Commission for BWP includes:
(a)Chief of General Staff and Commander of the PLA
(b)Director of the General Armament Department
(c)Director of the General Logistics Department
(d)Commander of the Second Artillery Corps
(e)Commander of the Air Force.
99/n In fact PLA Central Committee too is considered to be part of #Biowarfare Program of China.
100/n The functional system of Chinese #Biowarfare Program comprises of following categories:
1. Governmental defence and ostensibly civilian facilities
2. Military-owned facilities
3. Integral military facilities
Dr Soham talks of 53 facilities which have been studied.
101/n Founded in 1999, a main facility of the National Development and Reform Commission , State Research Center for Viro-Biotechnology Engineering, Beijing, is mostly engaged with highly ranked special national ‘863’ and ‘973’ key R&D projects.
102/n Although this facility stopped publishing in 2001, but remained fully active.
Publications until 2001 dealt with several human viruses, in which the vaccinia virus was predominant since the 80s, and are with sophistication (ref paper pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12515166/ )
103/n It is assumed that most of the activities of the centre are classified and connected to #Biowarfare
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