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TomCADem

(17,382 posts)
26. Reuters: Trump Administration slashed CDC staff inside China prior to coronavirus outbreak
Sat May 29, 2021, 12:49 PM
May 2021

I think the real end game is actually to prod China into one again permitting greater access to U.S. CDC personnel after Trump slashed such personnel before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Biden has two problems. First, China is now resistant to letting them back in. Second, Republicans are going to argue that Biden is "helping" China by trying to re-establish such access. So, why not use Republican gripes about questions about the disease's origins to prod both parties to once again re-establish transparency and cooperation in the control of infectious diseases that Trump ended?

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-cdc-exclusiv/exclusive-u-s-slashed-cdc-staff-inside-china-prior-to-coronavirus-outbreak-idUSKBN21C3N5

WASHINGTON(Reuters) - The Trump administration cut staff by more than two-thirds at a key U.S. public health agency operating inside China, as part of a larger rollback of U.S.-funded health and science experts on the ground there leading up to the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters has learned.

Most of the reductions were made at the Beijing office of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and occurred over the past two years, according to public CDC documents viewed by Reuters and interviews with four people familiar with the drawdown.

The Atlanta-based CDC, America’s preeminent disease fighting agency, provides public health assistance to nations around the world and works with them to help stop outbreaks of contagious diseases from spreading globally. It has worked in China for 30 years.

The CDC’s China headcount has shrunk to around 14 staffers, down from approximately 47 people since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, the documents show. The four people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the losses included epidemiologists and other health professionals.
To be honest I would not be surprised if it leaked from a bio lab in China because cstanleytech May 2021 #1
China's economy shrank 6.8% due to nationwide lockdowns at the peak of its Covid-19 outbreak TomCADem May 2021 #28
If anything had consclusively linked it to a lab in Wuhan Warpy May 2021 #2
Honestly, at this point it's just being investigated to appease the Trumpublicans. Lancero May 2021 #3
um.....the origins of this virus NEEDS to be investigated Skittles May 2021 #6
Remember how we lashed out at Trump, not that long ago, for his attempts to label it the... Lancero May 2021 #7
are you seriously saying Skittles May 2021 #8
Your point is correct & objective oldsoftie May 2021 #9
even if the virus WAS created and released in China Skittles May 2021 #19
So, you're ok with causing a outbreak of xenophobia? Lancero May 2021 #15
WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF Skittles May 2021 #18
So you would rather never know the source forthemiddle May 2021 #12
I'd rather we not stir up xenophobia more than it already is. Lancero May 2021 #14
Trump was not RIGHT, he was FAR RIGHT Skittles May 2021 #21
There's a difference between calling it "China Virus" Sapient Donkey May 2021 #20
excellent response Skittles May 2021 #22
That depends - Are we going to be ideologically consistent on the subject? Lancero May 2021 #23
He was called a bigot for racism. These are different issues JI7 May 2021 #24
"..he claimed that the virus originated in a Chinese lab. LudwigPastorius May 2021 #25
If Trump simply stated that there were suspicions it originated from a Chinese lab Sapient Donkey May 2021 #30
Trump's team won't do that. apnu May 2021 #11
Reuters: Trump Administration slashed CDC staff inside China prior to coronavirus outbreak TomCADem May 2021 #26
I think you're right about prodding them to accept CDC people Warpy May 2021 #29
Geneticists do not think SARS-CoV-2 was engineered, speak easy May 2021 #4
But so far this version has not been found in bats oldsoftie May 2021 #10
No, there was an intermediate host, but it began in bats. speak easy May 2021 #17
team up with AZ - they have unintelligent examinants... bringthePaine May 2021 #5
Why does The Count sound Russian? Backseat Driver May 2021 #13
Even if a smoking gun is found, China will say "Fake News" dalton99a May 2021 #16
Trump says China "should have told us" about coronavirus. He removed the official meant to do that. TomCADem May 2021 #27
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