Scripps News shows how a secret lab in central California was connected to the Chinese Communist Party.

There was blood and other bodily fluids in Gatorade bottles labeled in Mandarin, samples of at least 20 potentially infectious agents including malaria, dengue fever, and COVID-19 — and a pungent odor from what turned out to be nearly 1,000 mice.

  • LordOfTheChia@lemmy.world
    733·
    11 months ago

    It’s because the article is withholding information* to “guide” the viewer towards conspiratorial explanations. Especially with lines like this:

    What China’s lab was targeting with so many dangerous pathogens remains a mystery

    Meanwhile, elsewhere, this was already answered:

    https://apnews.com/article/california-biolab-covid19-test-kits-china-arrest-3ee30af1548356e017276860ebb21f53

    The Chinese owner of an unauthorized central California lab that fueled conspiracy theories about China and biological weapons has been arrested on charges of not obtaining the proper permits to manufacture tests for COVID-19, pregnancy and HIV, and mislabeling some of the kits.

    Also note, the OP article is not originally from AOL. AOL is quoting another article from a “Scripps News”, practically in its entirety without any additional journalism on their part. If they had done any journalism, they would have found the AP article I linked with more info or the DoJ article on the charges that were brought up.

    Edit:

    This story broke in July 25, 2023:

    https://midvalleytimes.com/article/news/2023/07/25/investigation-on-reedley-building-uncovers-bio-health-hazards/

    investigators discovered that one room of the warehouse was used to produce COVID-19 and pregnancy tests

    * Note, the words “test” or “tests” do not appear anywhere in the OP article.

    • athos77@kbin.social
      32·
      11 months ago

      The thing that really irritated me was the bit about “ooh, they’re using equipment from China, that proves it!” I mean, no shit? Find me a lab, an office, a home, anything manmade in the US that doesn’t have something made in China in it :/

      • LordOfTheChia@lemmy.world
        17·
        11 months ago

        Even in doctors offices. I had researched and bought pulse oximeters a few years ago (mainly on ali express).

        You start to see the same designs with different branding as they’re made by only a very few companies in China.

        Since then I can recognize the same ones in use at every doctor appointment I’ve been at.

      • SheeEttinEnglish
        1·
        11 months ago

        But the cameras are from Hikvision, a CHINESE company!

        Yeah, Hikvision makes equipment at a lower price point than similar systems, so they sell a lot, to everyone. Any low-budget operation with security cameras is probably using Hikvision.