China's Wuhan Institute of Virology has allegedly signed a deal with Pakistan military's DESTO to research "emerging infectious diseases"
An Australian investigative journalist has claimed that China and Pakistan might have entered into a "secret three-year deal" to expand bio-warfare capabilities, including research projects dealing with the deadly agent anthrax, The Economic Times reported.
According to Anthony Klan, the journalist and editor of news website Klaxon, China's Wuhan Institute of Virology has allegedly signed a deal with Pakistan military's Defense Science and Technology Organisation (DESTO) to research "emerging infectious diseases" and studies of biological control of transmitted diseases.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology has drawn the international spotlight in recent months because the novel coronavirus is thought to have originated in Wuhan. There had been speculation the disease may have emerged from that laboratory; however, most experts have since discounted the theory.
Sources told Klan that the programme is funded by China and is being called, formally, 'Collaboration for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Studies on Biological Control of Vector Transmitting Diseases'.
"The covert China-Pakistan project has conducted “successful soil sampling tests” to isolate Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT), which has a “striking similarity” to Bacillus Anthracis – or anthrax. Considering the striking similarity between BT and Bacillus Anthracis, a classified bio-warfare agent, (Pakistan’s) improved know-how in handling the bacteria could enrich a potential offensive biological programme," Klan wrote, according to the newspaper.
"China’s keen interest in the project is driven chiefly by its agenda to engage Pakistan against India and to conduct potentially dangerous experiments on foreign soil, without exposing its own land and people to risk," an expert reportedly told Klan.
On its part, Pakistan has, according to news agency PTI, dismissed the report as "politically motivated and fake story".
"There is nothing secret about the Bio-Safety Level-3 (BSL-3) Laboratory of Pakistan referred to in the report. Pakistan has been sharing information about the facility with the States Parties to the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (BTWC) in its submission of Confidence Building Measures," the Pakistan Foreign Office said.