This was a proposal to DARPA from a US-based group so the "if it came from the Wuhan lab we need to deal with China" part of the common reaction to the lab-origins idea seems wildly unfounded.

If it came from a lab - hell, even if it DIDN'T come from a lab, but could have - then we need to globally think about what sort of things we're doing and how safely we can do them.

> Fine China? Sanction China? Demand accountability from China?

If China caused this and then lied about it, there would absolutely be geopolitical will to organize and extract concessions.

Perhaps if we have zero recourse against China in this sort of situation, then the first step would be to work to remove the conditions that lead to that lack of recourse.

The value is to inform the larger discussion of the risks and benefits of gain of function research.

I'm not sure I'm following: are you saying that the current president should be believed, or the former one? Similarly, are you saying that either president has cited classified information that directly contradicts the media's reporting on COVID-19?

To my recollection, neither president has forcefully declassified any evidence that supports the more egregious claims made about COVID (that it was intentionally leaked). In the mean time, there seems to be ample & bipartisan willingness among the general public to at least entertain more benign "accidental leak" theories.

Robert Redfield former CDC director said trump had access to intelligence implicating the lab. Biden presumay does as well.

Also, nowhere here is any claim it was intentional.

If this were true, the US is also involved. That would mean both countries are responsible.

The leaks reveal the confidence of a proposal and path to accomplish the genetic manipulation that Daszak and his associates have been aggressively refuting. This information contradicts those previous statements. It appears Daszak may have conflicts of interest that need more investigation.

They don't "make everyone's chip's"... that would be Taiwan.

Regarding what should be done: stop giving money to China for GoF research would be a great start...

GoF? Is China still caught in the OO Design Pattern trap?

Gain of Function.