The CIA has concluded that the Covid-19 virus most likely originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, though the agency assigns “low confidence” to this assessment, acknowledging the evidence remains incomplete and inconclusive. The report, declassified on Saturday, was initiated under the Biden administration and completed with input from former CIA Director William Burns.
The findings were publicly released on the orders of John Ratcliffe, who was sworn in Thursday as CIA Director under President Donald Trump. “I had the opportunity on my first day to make public an assessment that actually took place in the Biden administration. So it can’t be accused of being political,” Ratcliffe told Fox News Sunday Morning Futures.
Ratcliffe stated that the CIA’s analysis concluded a lab-related incident in Wuhan is the most likely cause of the pandemic, but noted the agency would continue investigating. “The lab leak is the only theory supported by science, intelligence, and common sense,” Ratcliffe previously said.
Evidence remains divided
The CIA clarified in its statement that both natural and lab-related origins remain plausible. The new assessment is based on analyses of existing intelligence, including the virus’s scientific characteristics and conditions in China’s virology labs, rather than new evidence.
Earlier intelligence reports and investigations, including one by the Energy Department and statements from former FBI Director Christopher Wray, have also suggested the lab leak theory but with low confidence. Meanwhile, scientists largely support the hypothesis that the virus likely originated in bats and spread through an intermediary species, such as raccoon dogs or civet cats, before infecting humans in Wuhan’s markets.
Political and geopolitical implications
The report has reignited political debate. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called for holding China accountable, suggesting tariffs or legislation to repeal the country’s most favored nation status. “We need to make China pay for unleashing this plague on the world,” Cotton said on Fox News Sunday.
China has dismissed the claims, with its US embassy calling the CIA report baseless and politically motivated. “We firmly oppose the politicization and stigmatization of the source of the virus,” said Liu Pengyu, an embassy spokesperson.
As debates continue, the CIA maintains that further investigation is essential but warns that a definitive conclusion may never be reached, citing a lack of cooperation from Chinese authorities.
