Amidst the diplomatic tensions between India and its neighbors, Pakistan and China have reportedly struck a secret deal to expand its biological-warfare capabilities. The deal has been signed between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Pakistan military’s Defense Science and Technology Organization (DESTO).
The Chinese funded research between both the countries has been titled as ‘Collaboration for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Studies on Biological Control of Vector Transmitting Diseases’. The research includes some of the deadly infections such as Anthrax, which are to be studied as a part of it.
As reported by various media agencies, China will be testing the infections outside of its borders so as to avoid “drawing condemnation from the international community”. The covert project has been able to conduct “successful soil sampling tests” to isolate Bacillus Thuringeinsis (BT) which has a striking similarity to Bacillus Anthracis – or anthrax, as reported by India TV. This sampling has been conducted by the Pakistan military’s Defense organization.
At the same time, while funding the whole project, the Chinese Wuhan Lab has “lent all financial, material and scientific support to the project”, as stated in a report by The Klaxon on this situation.
The report has also stated that China was providing “extensive training on the manipulation of pathogens and bio-informatics” to scientists in Pakistan. This would strengthen the bio-warfare capability of the country and would also enable it to develop its own virus collection database.
The Chinese involvement in this issue is just seen as an effort to drive Pakistan against India.
The involvement of the Wuhan Institute of Virology brings back a variety of concerns. The lab, earlier, was accused of developing the Coronavirus in-house. However, such accusations were refuted by the mainland. Although, with this deal being signed between both the countries, the extent of involvement of China in the COVID-19 pandemic becomes a question mark.
