Top Points:
Accountability for Trillions in Losses: A new report by a nonpartisan commission emphasizes the need to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for its systematic cover-up of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in over $18 trillion in economic losses for the United States.
Systematic Cover-up by the CCP: The report details how the CCP suppressed information about the virus, silenced whistleblowers, and provided false data, leading to the rapid global spread of COVID-19. This cover-up included silencing medical personnel, journalists, and other citizens who tried to warn the world.
Call for Bold Action: The commission, chaired by former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, recommends forming a 9/11-style commission, establishing a reparations task force, and prioritizing demands for an investigation into COVID-19 origins. The goal is to hold the CCP accountable and prevent future pandemics.
Full Report:
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must be held accountable for its deliberate cover-up of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused trillions of dollars in economic losses in the United States, according to a new report by a nonpartisan commission. The report, presented by Derrick Morgan, executive vice president of The Heritage Foundation, emphasizes the critical need for the United States to lead the effort in holding Beijing responsible.
The commission's 64-page report, unveiled at a July 8 event in Washington, estimates that as of December 2023, the pandemic's cost to the United States has soared to over $18 trillion. This staggering figure represents about 13 percent of the nation’s net wealth for that year and highlights the profound impact of the global health crisis.
The $18 trillion loss includes $8.6 trillion due to COVID-19-related deaths, a $1.8 trillion decline in economic output over the three-year pandemic, $6 trillion in lingering “long COVID” symptoms, over $1 trillion in mental health expenses, and $435 billion in education losses. While the report acknowledges potential contributions from other governments and institutions, it underscores the CCP’s unique role in the pandemic due to its active and aggressive opposition to transparency and accountability.
‘Systematic Cover-up’
When SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, the report found that Beijing had at least seven weeks to prevent the outbreak from becoming a global pandemic. However, the CCP chose to suppress information rather than alert the world, leading to catastrophic consequences.
In December 2019, local officials in Wuhan instructed medical institutions not to share information about the virus without authorization, and the CCP’s propaganda apparatus worked to erase any related information from the internet. Medical personnel, journalists, and other citizens who tried to warn others were silenced, with some even jailed.
Dr. Li Wenliang, an eye doctor in Wuhan, was reprimanded by police and accused of spreading rumors after warning about the “SARS-like” virus. Tragically, Dr. Li later died from the virus he tried to warn about. Journalists and activists attempting to report on the situation were also imprisoned, and some remain under surveillance.
The CCP’s cover-up extended to reporting false data and withholding critical information about the virus. In January 2020, Chinese health authorities ordered labs to destroy or hand over virus samples and get official approval before publishing research. It wasn't until January 20, 2020, that Chinese officials admitted the virus could spread between humans, after holding a potluck banquet attended by over 40,000 families, which turned into a superspreader event.
By the time Wuhan was locked down on January 23, 2020, 7 million people had already left the city without being screened for the virus, leading to outbreaks in over 30 cities across 26 countries. Notably, the lockdown restricted domestic flights from Wuhan but allowed international flights to continue, facilitating the virus’s global spread.
‘Take Bold Action Now’
“It has been nearly five years since the outbreak in Wuhan, China, and nothing has been done to hold China accountable,” Morgan said at the July 8 event. “Inaction incentivizes the CCP to persist in its secretive, aggressive, and dangerous behavior.”
The commission, chaired by former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and composed of both Republicans and Democrats, outlined several actions for Congress and the president to consider. These include forming a 9/11-style commission to review the CCP’s negligence and cover-up, establishing a bipartisan reparations task force, and prioritizing demands for an investigation into COVID-19 origins during diplomatic engagements with China.
The report also recommends imposing economic sanctions on Chinese officials and entities involved in distorting pandemic-related information. Holding the CCP accountable is crucial to providing incentives for better behavior from China’s government and other governments in the future.
“Better to take bold action now than to ask ourselves why we didn’t do more if an even deadlier pandemic emerges in the future,” the report concludes.
Original Story by Dorothy Li, The Epoch Times
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