One issue I have with this article is the assumption that this is about China, or that China is the appropriate target (if the lab leak theory is true).<p>One thing that's been a bit confusing to me in this is why the "lab leak" hypothesis is discussed so much as the "Chinese lab leak" hypothesis and not as the "US-Chinese experimental virology" hypothesis.<p>Yes, the lab was in China, and yes, the lab leak hypothesis involves a security failure in that lab. However, if it is true (and I'm not even sure it can be shown to be true beyond a reasonable doubt at this point, which is another reason I don't expect economic retaliation of any form), the broader problems involve a broader funding and scientific community around the Chinese lab, in a sort of circles or levels of closeness to Wuhan. What about the cover up and/or pushback from US scientists, either the Wuhan collaborators in particular, or individuals more broadly? What about US NIH/DHS funding of gain-of-function research? Etc etc etc. Who, in particular, should retaliation be pointed at? China? China and the US? The Wuhan lab and their international collaborators? The academic-industrial complex?<p>There's plenty of blame to go around (if the lab leak theory is true, which it might not be), and it's pretty diffuse (which is another reason, along with the passage of time, I suspect the origins of the pandemic will probably remain a mystery for a long time if not forever).