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In an episode of Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar says,

Even the Chinese don't try and push [...] the wet market theory. Their theory is basically like oh it was on some goods and it made it here. source

And then again here,

In May of 2020 as recently they were not even standing by the wet market theory. source

Is this true? Does the Chinese government have an official stance on COVID's origins? And if so, what is that?

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    – Oddthinking
    Dec 1, 2021 at 12:27
  • How in the world could this be proven one way or the other? It can spread without symptoms, how could anyone ever be certain about who patient zero was? Dec 7, 2021 at 3:47

1 Answer 1

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The CCP's official position is that COVID-19's origins are an unresolved scientific question, not a political one.

新冠病毒溯源是一个严肃复杂的科学问题,应该也只能由全球科学家合作开展研究。
[Google Translate]: The tracing of the source of the new coronavirus is a serious and complex scientific issue, which should and can only be researched by scientists from all over the world.
外交部就美发布新冠病毒溯源问题解密版报告答问, gov.cn, quoting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, October 2021.

国家卫生健康委副主任曾益新表示,新冠病毒溯源是一个科学问题,中国政府一贯支持科学开展病毒溯源,反对将溯源工作政治化。
[Google Translate]: Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said that the traceability of the new coronavirus is a scientific issue. The Chinese government has always supported scientific traceability of the virus and opposed the politicization of traceability.
国新办举行发布会介绍新冠病毒溯源情况, gov.cn, quoting 人民日报 (People's Daily), June 2021.

Beyond this, the CCP and Chinese media has repeatedly pointed to a China-WHO report (February 2021) interpreting it as meaning the origins are still "uncertain":

华南海鲜市场关闭后的环境检测普遍发现新冠病毒污染,其中水产摊位尤为明显,华南海鲜市场新冠病毒可能通过感染者、被污染的冷链产品、动物产品等途径引入,但尚无法确定。
[Google Translate]: Environmental testing after the closure of the South China Seafood Market has generally found COVID-19 contamination, especially in aquatic product stalls. The COVID-19 may be introduced through infected persons, contaminated cold chain products, animal products, etc., but it is still uncertain.
中国-世界卫生组织新冠病毒溯源研究联合专家组举行新闻发布会, gov.cn, quoting 卫生健康委 (Health Commission), February 2021.

The above article is based on a China-WHO report:

Environmental sampling in Huanan Market from right at the point of its closing revealed widespread contamination of surfaces with SARS-CoV-2 compatible with introduction of the virus through infected people or contaminated cold-chain products, animals, and animal products.
COVID-19 Virtual Press conference transcript, 9 February 2021.

The CCP also has also repeatedly called for investigations into the USA's Fort Detrick (which western media calls e.g. a disinformation campaign):

停止攻击抹黑中国,回应国际社会合理关切,接受世卫专家访问,并开放德特里克堡生物实验室以及生物实验基地。
[Google Translate]: Stop attacking and discredit China, respond to the reasonable concerns of the international community, accept visits by WHO experts, and open the Fort Detrick Biological Laboratory and Biological Experiment Base.
外交部就美发布新冠病毒溯源问题解密版报告答问, October 2021.

So in an official sense, the CCP clearly considers alternatives to the "wet market origin theory" possible.

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  • That seems like a very reasonable position. This is exactly the kind of answer I wanted. Dec 2, 2021 at 15:12
  • Nitpicking (and then maybe not): The official name is Communist Party of China therefore CPC. This form should be preferred. CCP as in "Chinese Communist Party" isn't official and has been wildly use mostly by anti-China propagandists (but by no means exclusively) and people who doesn't seem to see a problem with it. The latter should be avoided for obvious reasons. Furthermore the question frames it correctly as "Chinese government", the answer correctly cites governmental sources but all attributions are to "CCP". Even if you're thinking "it's one and the same" in reality it isn't. Dec 5, 2021 at 23:52
  • If this was about the USA you would be saying "US government" and not the Republican Party / Democratic Party while citing official communications of the government, would you? Likely not and the same for any other country. We would like the same respect, thank you. Dec 5, 2021 at 23:56
  • Other that that, excellent answer, +1 Dec 5, 2021 at 23:57
  • Curious—I didn’t know this. Feel free to edit in such corrections, since it seems I’m not precise enough here. I used CCP since I’ve heard the term and I wanted to avoid confusion with other levels of government, which may have differing stances. Dec 6, 2021 at 0:04

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