China’s ‘Bat Woman’ coronavirus doc denies trying to defect with secret files after dossier’s ‘Beijing cover-up’ claims
CHINA's “Bat Woman” coronavirus scientist has denied trying to "defect with secret files".
Virologist Shi Zhengli is one of the world's top coronavirus researchers - and was reportedly silenced after she unravelled the Covid-19 gene.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
Rumours spread across social media over the last 48 hours claiming she and her family had escaped from China, bringing hundreds of confidential documents to the US embassy in Paris.
But Shi, a renowned researcher of bat coronaviruses, has assured friends and family everything is OK.
'WE'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG'
On Saturday, she wrote on Chinese messaging service, WeChat: "Everything is all right for my family and me, dear friends!
"No matter how difficult things are, it (defecting) shall never happen. We've done nothing wrong.
"With strong belief in science, we will see the day when the clouds disperse and the sun shines."
The Global Times, a nationalistic paper published with approval from the Chinese Communist Party, first reported on Shi’s statement.
Everything is all right for my family and me, dear friends! With strong belief in science, we will see the day when the clouds disperse and the sun shines.
Shi Zhengli
It was reported last month that Shi was called back to her high security lab in Wuhan at the end of last year after a mysterious new respiratory condition in the city was identified as a new form of coronavirus.
Within three days she completed its gene sequencing, the
Her team’s work was said to have revealed the virus was linked to horseshoe bats found more than 1,000 miles away in Yunnan, a region of southern China.
Gao Yu, a Chinese journalist, said of Shi: “We learned later her institute finished gene-sequencing and related tests as early as January 2 but was muzzled.”
BOMBSHELL DOSSIER
Shi's recent comments come after a bombshell spy dossier claimed China lied to the world about the coronavirus outbreak.
A 15-page document, obtained by Australia's , has laid the foundation for a case being created against China for its handling of the deadly disease.
It discusses the country's silencing of doctors who tried to speak out about the virus, as well as the destruction of evidence in laboratories and refusing to provide samples to scientists who were working on a vaccine.
The dossier, from the Five Eyes intelligence agencies of the , the , and stated that 's secrecy surrounding the virus led to an "assault on international transparency".
Most read in
The file specifically details that China began censoring news of the virus from December 31.
According to the document, the country deleted terms including "SARS variation," "Wuhan Seafood market" and "Wuhan Unknown Pneumonia" from search engines.
The paper also discusses how China imposed travel bans on its own people but told other countries restrictions on movement were not necessary.
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - STAY IN THE KNOW
Don't miss the latest news and figures - and essential advice for you and your family.
To receive The Sun's Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, .
To follow us on Facebook, simply .
Get Britain's best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day - .
Give now to The Sun's NHS appeal
BRITAIN’s four million NHS staff are on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.
But while they are helping save lives, who is there to help them?
The Sun has launched an appeal to raise £1MILLION for NHS workers. The Who Cares Wins Appeal aims to get vital support to staff in their hour of need.
We have teamed up with NHS Charities Together in their urgent Covid-19 Appeal to ensure the money gets to exactly who needs it.
The Sun is donating £50,000 and we would like YOU to help us raise a million pounds, to help THEM. No matter how little you can spare, please donate today here: .