Given how people are reacting here, they could literally release it at the same time as mass vaccinating their own population with pre-stockpiled vaccine, assert that it was simply the massive superiority of Chinese science that allowed it and western governments/media would immediately swallow this story whole.

The evidence about what was happening is not only overwhelming but notice how not a single government is going to lift a finger about it. The NIH just refunded this work and the Biden admin doesn't give a shit. They're all deep in denial at this point and will never even admit to what has happened, let alone start WW3 over it.