Heavily redacted cables, obtained by the public-health transparency group U.S. Right to Know, has revealed that months after the onset of the Covid pandemic, “State Department officials came to the conclusion that the outbreak could have been contained had the Chinese Communist Party officials acted to prevent the viral spread rather than trying to conceal its existence” as reported by National Review.

The cables were sent years ago, only months after the onset of the pandemic, from July 2020 to January 2021 and include the heading: “Initial Outbreak Could Have Been Contained in China if Beijing Had Not Covered It Up.”

Reporting by the Associated Press found that Chinese officials waited an entire six days to warn the public after they confirmed the highly contagious, potentially lethal coronavirus had originated in the country.

The cables, which appear to have been sourced through the American Institute in Taiwan, which functions as a de facto U.S. embassy, confirms the Associated Press findings.

In one cable, the State Department notes Beijing “ordered” party members to obfuscate regarding the source of the virus. A leaked directive, cited in the cable, allegedly confirmed that the regime restricted disclosure of virus information. Another heading states that Chinese president Xi Jinping tried to claim no responsibility for the coverup and refused transparency throughout the crisis.

In a January 14, 2020, private teleconference with provincial health officials, the leader of China’s National Health Commission, Ma Xiaowei, shared the seriousness of the situation and told localities to prepare for a pandemic.

“The epidemic situation is still severe and complex, the most severe challenge since SARS in 2003, and is likely to develop into a major public health event,” read a memo of Ma’s comments obtained by the AP. “With the coming of the Spring Festival, many people will be traveling, and the risk of transmission and spread is high.”

National Review reports that the cables show:

Instead of giving any warning to the public, Wuhan held a massive celebration for tens of thousands of people, likely accelerating the rate of transmission. During that week, in which Chinese citizens were in the dark about the virus spreading across the country, over 3,000 people were infected, according to internal documents reviewed by the AP and an expert analysis of retrospective infection data. In 30 days, the virus expanded from the Hubei province, home to the capital of Wuhan, to the rest of mainland China.

The newly released cables further indicate that CCP leaders, rather than local officials, led the effort to censor information about the viral outbreak, particularly when the accounts called Beijing’s leadership into question.

In one cable, the State Department assesses that Beijing “ordered” party members to obfuscate regarding the source of the virus. A leaked directive, cited in the cable, allegedly confirmed that the regime restricted disclosure of virus information. Another heading states that Chinese president Xi Jinping tried to claim no responsibility for the coverup and refused transparency throughout the crisis.

CONTINUE READING: National Review