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[[FBI Director Christopher Wray announced this week the U.S. believes the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a lab accident in Wuhan, China. But there’s still significant disagreement among U.S. intelligence agencies on that finding.
VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more reaction from Washington.]]
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptUS COVID ORIGINS (TV)
HEADLINE: FBI Director: China ‘Likely’ Responsible for Lab Leak That Caused COVID-19 Pandemic
TEASER: FBI finding not shared by other US intel agencies
PUBLISHED AT: 03/01/23 at 8:45 p.m.
BYLINE: Katherine Gypson
PRODUCERS: Katherine Gypson
CONTRIBUTING:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Jepsen, Bowman, DJones (ok)
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP, ABC, FOX News
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:39
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE:
[[NOTE: All broll for this piece is in Frame.io-Central Workspace-In-Progress-Katherine Gypson-COVID Origins]]
((TV/web intro: ))
[[FBI Director Christopher Wray announced this week the U.S. believes the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a lab accident in Wuhan, China. But there’s still significant disagreement among U.S. intelligence agencies on that finding. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more reaction from Washington.]]
((Narrator))
((Still of Wray Tweet then over to AP COVID Lab Leak))
The top official for a U.S. law enforcement agency now saying it has believed for some time the COVID-19 pandemic likely had its origins in a lab leak in Wuhan, China. But
the White House Wednesday downplayed that finding from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
((Karine Jean Pierre, White House Press Secretary))
((MRT kgyp we have many different conclusions))
“We have seen many, many different conclusions right from the intelligence community. Some of them have made some conclusions on one side. Some of them have made conclusions on the other side. Some of them say they don't have enough information. So [we] want to be also very careful there.”
((Narrator))
((Broll of mask wearing, back-time Price))
The U.S. State Department also saying there are a variety of views within the U.S. intelligence community on the pandemic’s origins.
((Ned Price, State Department Spokesperson))
((MRT Clip to Come))
“What we do know is that for more than two years now, the PRC has been blocking international investigators and members of the global public health community from accessing early disease information. It is important that the PRC demonstrate transparency not only for the benefit of people around the world, but also to the benefit of the people of China.”
((Narrator))
((Back-time AP China MOFA))
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said U.S. intelligence findings lack credibility.
((Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson))
((AP China MOFA COVID-SOT 1))
“China firmly opposes any political manipulation with the origins tracing in any form. Employing the intelligence community in science matters is in itself the evidence of the politicization of origin tracing.”
((Narrator))
((Broll of China hearing from GYPSON TV pkg Tue night))
The origins of COVID-19 will be a major focus of a two-year investigation into U.S. strategic competition with China that was launched in the U.S. House this week.
((Rep. Jim Banks, Republican))
((20;51;43;26 MRT HOUSE for kgyp pottinger on covid 19 lab leak origins))
“Do you think there is a chance that the Wuhan lab was involved in bioweapons research?”
((Matthew Pottinger, Former National Security Council Member))
((20;51;43;26 MRT HOUSE for kgyp pottinger on covid 19 lab leak origins))
“We know for certain that the Chinese military is involved in research into coronaviruses. We know that they were experimenting using U.S. technology by the way, to work on chimeric viruses, that is one that had been engineered. We know that the Chinese military had been involved in trying to develop vaccines for coronaviruses.”
((Narrator))
((Broll of Wuhan and mask wearing in Hong Kong))
Pottinger, who helped shape China policy in the Trump administration, told lawmakers there have been multiple leaks of dangerous pathogens out of Chinese laboratories in recent years, including the original SARS coronavirus.
((Katherine Gypson, VOA News, Washington))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Washington D.C.
Embargo DateMarch 1, 2023 17:30 EST
Byline
((Katherine Gypson, VOA News, Washington))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
