China didn't create COVID-19 pandemic to attack America, says US magazine

WASHINGTON -- It was not rational for anyone to believe that China was complicit in the COVID-19 pandemic, a US security magazine has said.

"Lost amid all this finger-pointing is a basic logic of agency; what would China hope to gain from using a viral weapon?" political scientist Erik Gartzke was quoted as saying in an opinion piece run by The National Interest on Wednesday.

Apart from the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump labeled the virus "China virus," a range of pundits and government officials also directly or indirectly accused China of causing the pandemic.

"There is little evidence that they planned a pandemic," said Gartzke, listing a few reasons.

First, the virus is too inconvenient to be used as a weapon to attack opponents.

"The most desirable weapons are generally quick, precise and effective. The coronavirus achieves none of these criteria," said the editorial.

As the probation period can be days or even weeks, the victims may not soon find they are infected, and the target group may not necessarily fall ill, the novel coronavirus is neither quick, precise, nor effective.

Second, China would not develop a weapon that would eventually hurt its own people or its economy. It has been obvious that since the outbreak was first discovered in the Chinese central city of Wuhan, many Chinese also fell victim to the virus. The following strict social distancing policy, while keeping Chinese safe from being infected, has hurt the Chinese economy.

Third, China would never wish to see the United States, Europe or any country to be plagued by the pandemic because disproportionate economic harm would and will still befall China.

"As world markets contract in response to the coronavirus, China is destined to incur economic pneumonia," said the author.

When the United States is at trade war with China, circulating such conspiracy that China is the mastermind of the global health crisis is completely off the point.

"Not every adversary is intentionally malicious," said the expert.