China's Chang'e-6 safely returns to Earth with first-ever lunar far side samples

Photo: Wang Sijiang

Chang'e-6 - China's latest leap of moon exploration - has claimed full success, as the returning capsule of the craft, carrying the first batch of lunar samples collected from the far side of the moon in human history, safely touched down in designated landing site in the Siziwang Banner, in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday afternoon at 2:07 pm.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday extended congratulations on the complete success of the Chang'e-6 mission that brought back the world's first samples collected from the moon's far side. It marks "another landmark achievement in China's endeavor to become a space and sci-tech power," Xi noted. 

In the congratulatory letter, Xi also stressed the hope to strengthen international exchange and cooperation in carrying out major aerospace engineering projects including deep-space explorations.

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), as planned, after the necessary ground processing work is completed, the recovered Chang'e-6 returner will be airlifted to Beijing, where the sample containers and payload will be extracted. The CNSA will hold a handover ceremony at an appropriate time to officially transfer the lunar samples to the ground application system. Subsequently, the samples will undergo storage, analysis and related research work.

After successfully completing the Chang'e-6 mission, the Queqiao-2 relay satellite will carry out scientific exploration missions at an appropriate time. It will use its onboard instruments, including an extreme ultraviolet camera, an arrayed neutral atom imager, and an Earth-Moon Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) experiment system, to collect scientific data from the moon and deep space, the CNSA said in a statement sent to the Global Times. 

Stargazers from all over the world have paid close attention to the 53 day-long round trip of Chang'e-6, and applauded Tuesday for the unprecedented feat of it retrieving precious lunar samples from the far side of the moon, while suggesting that these samples would not only help enhance the humanity's understanding of the Earth's natural satellite but also create new opportunities for international cooperation in space studies, including those with the US.

"I do think a successful conclusion to this very complex mission [Chang'e-6] will show that Chang'e-5 was not just a fluke, and that Chinese space engineers really have mastered the challenges of carrying out these very difficult missions far from Earth, it's a real step forward in the maturity of the Chinese space effort," Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the US, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"The successful execution of the Chang'e-6 mission has achieved breakthroughs in key technologies such as retrograde lunar orbit design and control, rapid intelligent sampling on the lunar far side, and ascent from the lunar far side. These technological advancements lay a foundation for future deep space exploration missions," Kang Guohua, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The mission not only sets a new record for China's lunar exploration program but also has a profound impact on the global aerospace field. Through the Chang'e-6 mission, China has demonstrated its leadership and influence in space exploration, Kang said noting that lunar soil from the far side of the moon holds immense value for scientific research and deep space exploration due to its uniqueness. 

Since no human probe has directly landed on and sampled from the far side, the soil from this area offers a distinct perspective. The South Pole-Aitken Basin is the oldest and deepest large impact basin on the moon, and samples from here can help scientists study the moon's origin and evolution more deeply, potentially providing critical clues about the formation and evolution of the solar system, he said.

Potential of intl collaboration in space

This year marks the 20th anniversary of China's lunar exploration program. China stands ready to continue working with like-minded international partners to explore humanity's common domain of the outer space, realize the shared dream of people around the world to discover more about the moon, and strive to advance the world's common endeavor of peacefully using the outer space, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday, commenting on Chang'e-6's success.

The Chang'e-6 mission hosted four international payloads to the moon, including the European Space Agency (ESA)'s lunar surface ion composition analyzer, France's radon detection instrument, Italy's laser corner reflector, and a CubeSat from Pakistan, the CNSA revealed to the Global Times.

Pakistan's CubeSat, the country's inaugural lunar satellite, has sent back the first images it captured on May 10. It also achieved its goal of "successful separation and obtaining telemetry," marking the smooth completion of Pakistan's first-ever lunar project.

ESA's lunar surface ion composition analyzer, jointly developed with the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully completed seven scientific detections after it started up on June 2, with the total detection time exceeding 3 hours, thus achieving the scheduled goal of detecting the lunar surface for at least 1 hour. This payload conducted negative ion detection on the lunar surface for the first time internationally, and the joint team is currently conducting scientific data analysis.

For the French payload, Philippe Baptiste, chairman of the French National Center for Space Studies, said it would still take some time to get all the data, but they are looking forward to it, as "the last time France was on the moon with an active instrument, it was in 1970," Baptiste was quoted as saying in a CGTN report.

The Chang'e-6 mission and its collection of precious samples from the far side of the moon will create more opportunities for cooperation between China and Western countries in space, according to space observers. And it is highly likely that NASA would again greenlight its researchers to access to these precious samples retrieved by the Chang'e-6 mission, however, the difficulties still lie in the US' domestic legal barriers, they said. 

McDowell said he would be happy to see sharing of data between China and the US. The US space observer pointed out however that "the political winds here in the US are still strongly against allowing any large-scale cooperation."

In a November 29 statement, NASA said it has certified its intent to the US Congress to "allow NASA-funded researchers to apply to the China National Space Administration for access to lunar samples returned to Earth on the Chang'e 5 mission." However, NASA made it clear that this allowance applies specifically to Chang'e 5 mission samples and "the normal prohibition on bilateral activity with (the) PRC (People's Republic of China) on NASA-funded projects remains in place."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told the Global Times on June 7 at a regular press conference that China is always open toward space exchanges and cooperation with the US. There are, however, difficulties in China-US space cooperation at the moment, which are caused by US domestic legislation such as the Wolf Amendment that prevents normal exchanges and dialogue between Chinese and US space agencies, Mao said.

In a rarely seen friendly move, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson reportedly sent congratulations to China over the Chinese spacecraft's landing on the lunar surface earlier this month, saying he was impressed with its fourth successful moon landing, the Washington Post reported on US local time Monday. 

"I've been fairly pointed in my comments that we're in a space race with the Chinese, and that they are very good," he said in a recent interview with The Washington Post. "Especially in the last 10 years, they've had a lot of success. They usually say what they mean, and they execute on what they say."

However, the China space hawk continued its narrative of creating a new space race with China, by claiming that despite China's many achievements in space - which include an occupied space station in low Earth orbit and landing a rover on Mars in 2021 - the US remains on track to return astronauts to the lunar surface ahead of its chief rival, according to the report.  

In a key step toward that goal, NASA intends to fly four astronauts around the moon late next year, and then land people on the surface in late 2026 for the first time since the last of the Apollo missions, in 1972.

Despite competition between the US and China, the two countries will have to find a way to coexist on and around the moon, Nelson was quoted as saying.

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Fund-of-Funds to fuel local firms

Fund RM1BIL set aside to invest in innovative highi-growth start-ups, says PM 

Fund of Funds (FOF) Explained: How It Works, Pro & Cons, Example

KUALA LUMPUR: A sum of RM1bil for the “National Fund-of-Funds” will be set up to invest in innovative high-growth Malaysian companies, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“I am pleased to share that Khazanah Nasional Bhd will launch a ‘National Fund-of-Funds’ with an initial RM1bil allocation,” the Prime Minister said when delivering his keynote address at the launch of the inaugural KL20 Summit here yesterday.

He said the setting up of the fund represented the government’s continued commitment to assisting local companies such as those run by bumiputra entrepreneurs, as well as startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in line with Budget 2024 allocations.

ALSO READ: Policy advisory panel to focus on growth and economy

He said the government acknowledged the growing importance of startups in driving technological advancements in the country.

As such, he said the KL20 Summit provided an ideal launchpad for innovative ideas.

“KL20 does not simply represent a single-event summit but marks a clear break from the past, which is a comprehensive effort to catalyse the technology ecosystem,” he said

He added that KL20 would fit strategically into the central governing economic philosophy of the Madani Economic Framework, which is underscored by the principle that economic growth and compatible distribution are in harmony with market forces.

ALSO READ: Elevating the country to be a leading startup destination

“The government is also aiming to centralise investment agencies such as Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd (Mavcap) and Penjana Kapital under Khazanah Nasional,” he said.

Anwar also announced the signing of agreements involving 25 entities from various sectors of the startup ecosystem to help create cutting-edge technology ventures in Malaysia.

Among them was the Asean Investment Initiative between Khazanah Nasional, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP) and Blue Chip Venture Capital that will invest RM3bil in the South-East Asian and Malaysian ecosystems.

ALSO READ: KL20 Summit 2024 to attract high-quality investments - PM

He also said that 12 international venture capital firms would be setting up offices in Kuala Lumpur, which will help Malaysian startups be discovered and nurtured to be globally successful.

On semiconductors, he said the nation’s substantial hold on the backend had made it conducive to pursue high-value front-end work, primarily in the integrated circuit (IC) design category.

“I am pleased to announce the largest IC Design Park in South-East Asia, which will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm.

“This is done with the backing of the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec), with the Selangor state government, and this is proof that momentum is already being built on the ground,” he said.

ALSO READ: Making the Malaysian startup pitch

He added that the country was positioning itself as one of the leaders in semiconductors, clean energy, agritech and Islamic fintech.

To make Malaysia a true gateway to major economies, Anwar said a city-to-city connection between Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou would be established so that capital, talent and market access would no longer be a barrier.

Earlier in his speech, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said the goal of the KL20 Action Plan was to bring the top 20 startups in the world into the country.

This, he said, would be done through the immediate introduction of several measures.

He said the move was aimed at accelerating the critical areas of a startup ecosystem here.

“The ambition is for Malaysia to be the choice destination for early-stage and growth capital and to be the centre for world-class entrepreneurs and skilled talent,” said Rafizi.

He added that it was also the goal for the nation to be the home for leading startups in the world.

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China has built an artificial moon that simulates low-gravity conditions on Earth

China has built an artificial Moon that simulates low gravity conditions, the first of its kind. The facility is expected to play an important role in China's future Moon missions.

 

China has built a research facility that simulates the low-gravity environment on the moon – and it was inspired by experiments using magnets to levitate a frog.

` The facility could provide valuable research for China’s lunar exploration activities, according to scientists involved in the project. Located in the eastern city of Xuzhou, in Jiangsu province, the simulator is expected to be officially launched in the coming months.

` Lead scientist Li Ruilin, from the China University of Mining and Technology, said it was the “first of its kind in the world” and would take lunar simulation to a whole new level.

` Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

` The simulator can make gravity “disappear”, Li said in an interview on Tuesday. While low gravity can be achieved in an aircraft or a drop tower, it is momentary. Li said in the simulator that effect can “last as long as you want”.

` At its heart is a vacuum chamber that houses a mini “moon” measuring 60cm (about 2 feet) in diameter. The artificial lunar landscape is made up of rocks and dust that are as light as those on the moon – where gravity is about one-sixth as powerful as the gravity on Earth – partly because they are supported by a magnetic field.

` When the field is strong enough it can magnetise and levitate things – from a living frog to a chestnut – against the gravitational force.

` “Some experiments such as an impact test need just a few seconds [in the simulator],” said Li, from the university’s state key laboratory for geomechanics and deep underground engineering. “But others such as creep testing can take several days.” 

 

 

A vacuum chamber at the heart of the simulator houses an artificial moon measuring 60cm (about 2 feet) in diameter. Photo: Li Ruilin, China University of Mining and Technology

` Li said the idea came from Russian-born physicist Andre Geim’s experiments to levitate a frog with a magnet – for which he won an Ig Nobel Prize, celebrating science that “first makes people laugh, and then think”, in 2000. Geim, from the University of Manchester in England, also won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for his work on graphene.

` Responding to an approach by the South China Morning Post, Geim said he was pleased that his “purely education experiments on diamagnetic levitation led to applications in space exploration”.

` “Magnetic levitation is certainly not the same as antigravity, but there is a variety of situations where mimicking microgravity by magnetic fields could be invaluable to expect the unexpected in space research.”

` China is seeking to take the lead in a new international space race with the United States. That includes its lunar exploration programme – named after the mythical moon goddess Chang’e – whose recent missions include landing a rover on the far side of the moon in 2019, and in 2020 bringing rock samples back to Earth for the first time in 44 years.

` Next, China wants to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, and to set up a joint  lunar research base with Russia. Chinese space authorities said last month that construction of the research station  could start as soon as 2027 – years ahead of schedule – amid concerns over US-led moves to set the rules for future lunar activities. Nasa also plans to send astronauts back to the moon by 2024 under its Artemis programme.

` The Xuzhou facility is expected to play a key role in China’s future lunar missions, including building infrastructure on the moon, Li said.

` It will allow scientists to test equipment – and potentially prevent costly miscalculations – in a simulation of the extreme lunar environment, where rocks and dust can behave in a completely different way than they do on Earth. There is no atmosphere on the moon, the temperature can change quickly and dramatically, and in low gravity, soil particles are more loosely bound to each other.

` The Chang’e 5 mission returned with rock samples in December 2020, but there were not as many as planned because the drill hit unexpected resistance. Previous missions by the Soviet Union and US have had similar issues.

` Experiments conducted on a smaller prototype simulator suggested drill resistance on the moon could be much higher than predicted by theoretical models, according to a paper by the Xuzhou team published in the Journal of China University of Mining and Technology last week.

` According to Li, the moon simulator could also be used to test whether new technology such as 3D printing could be used to build structures on the lunar surface. It could help assess whether a permanent human settlement could be built there, including issues like how well the surface traps heat, he said.

` “Some experiments conducted in the simulated environment can also give us some important clues, such as where to look for water trapped under the surface,” he said.

` Simulating the harsh lunar environment on Earth was no easy task – the magnetic force needed is so strong that it could tear apart components like superconducting wires. Add to that the many metallic components needed for the vacuum chamber which do not function properly near a powerful magnet.

` Li said the team came up with a number of technical innovations to get around these challenges, including simulating lunar dust that could float more easily in the magnetic field, and replacing steel with aluminium in some of the key components.

` He said the Chinese facility would be open to researchers from around the world.

` And that includes UK-based physicist Geim. “We definitely welcome Professor Geim to come and share more great ideas with us,” Li said.

`

More from South China Morning Post:

• China’s Chang’e 5 lunar probe finds first on-site evidence of water on moon’s surface
• China speeds up moon base plan in space race against the US
• Scientists in China call for Chang’e 5 moon mission research to be published in Chinese to make it accessible at home
• Chinese, French scientists to work together on lunar rock samples
• China is working on a way to extract oxygen from the moon’s surface

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2022.

`
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Chang'e-5 in-situ data proves presence of water on moon

  Picture of the cube-shaped "mystery hut" taken by Yutu-2 rover. Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Aerospace Control Center   Data acqu...

Chang'e-5 in-situ data proves presence of water on moon

 

Picture of the cube-shaped "mystery hut" taken by Yutu-2 rover. Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Aerospace Control Center

 

Data acquired by the lander of China's Chang'e-5 lunar probe has provided the first-ever evidence of the in-situ detection of water on the moon, indicating that there is as much as 120 parts per million of water (as hydroxyl and/or H2O) in the lunar regolith. Space analysts said Sunday that this fresh discovery of a key resource on the moon is great news for humanity's endeavor to build and operate research stations and even migration to Mars.

` A joint research team led by Lin Yangting and Lin Honglei from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences made observations of the water signals in reflectance spectral data from the lunar surface collected by the Chang'e-5 lander, and their study was published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary open-access scientific journal run by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, on Saturday.

` Scientists said in the published work that water on the moon "is mostly attributed to solar wind implantation."

` Before this, many orbital observations and sample measurements completed over the past decade have found evidence of the presence of water (as hydroxyl and/or H2O) on the moon. However, no in-situ measurements were previously conducted on the lunar surface. The Chang'e in-situ measurement filled this gap.

` Song Zhongping, a space analyst and TV commentator, told the Global Times the existence of water could support human survival on the moon and help generate fuel for spacecraft such as rockets.

` That would mean the moon's resources could facilitate humanity's exploration of deeper space. The moon could also be a great springboard for human migration to Mars, Song pointed out.

` Carrying some two kilograms of lunar samples, China's Chang'e-5 safely landed at a designated landing site in Siziwang Banner of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 17, 2020, marking a full victory for the first lunar sample return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission in 1976.

` Lin said that the Chang'e-6 and -7 missions will continue to search for water on the moon, and their studies would lay the ground for future missions' scientific goals.

` Wu Yanhua, a deputy administrator with the China National Space Administration (CNSA), recently disclosed that state authorities have approved the fourth phase of China's lunar missions, which will include new Chang'e-6, -7 and -8 missions, which are expected to be carried out in the next decade.

` China plans to launch the Chang'e-7 probe to the lunar South Pole first, which will be followed by the Chang'e-6 for a sampling and return mission from the lunar South Pole.

` Chang'e-8, the last piece of the fourth phase, will construct a primary form of the International Lunar Research Station.

` Meanwhile, the Global Times learned from the CNSA that the Chang'e-4's rover Yutu-2 had trekked more than 1,000 meters on the moon's surface as of Thursday.

` According to mission insiders, the cube-shaped "mystery hut" on the far side of the moon the rover spotted last month has turned out to be a rabbit-like rock. On the 38th moon day of the moon expedition, Yutu-2 advanced right toward the rock to see it up close.

` After getting closer and getting some perspective, and with the guidance of the ground supporting team, the rover was able to reveal the object's true nature with the full-color camera onboard.

` The Yutu-2 and Chang'e-4 lander took pictures of each other on January 11, 2019, marking the full success of the mission, and the latest stage of the rover took place just before the third anniversary of that epic feat.

` Many netizens commented online that it was such a sweet and romantic moment, that China's "jade rabbit" rover could finally meet its mate on the moon. 

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US needs to work with China in pandemic fight; Let’s return to reason and science:US economist

 

Expert: Both countries should cooperate in fight against pandemic

 

Prof Dr Jeffrey Sachs

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The United States needs to work with China to find a global solution in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, says prominent academician Prof Dr Jeffrey Sachs

“This is tragic, since China has done an excellent job of suppressing the pandemic, and the world could and should have learned a lot more from China’s response.

“The United States should learn some good manners to work cooperatively with China, rather than trying to impose its will on that nation,” the head of the Lancet Covid-19 Commission said.

In an email interview, the Columbia University lecturer was asked to comment on the increasing friction between the US and China over the origins of the coronavirus and the pressure on the World Health Organisation to conduct another round of investigations to determine the source of the problem.

“Both governments have information that they should add to the investigation of the origin of the virus.

“Indeed, much of the research underway at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was a joint US-China project, with funding by the US.

“Therefore, there is no cause for finger-pointing by one country towards the other. We need scientific cooperation between the US and China in the search for the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19,” he added.

On how the synergy can be established and areas to focus on, Dr Sachs said “scientists from the two countries have actually been working together on SARS-like viruses”.

“The two governments should be cooperating transparently together. Both should be adding more information to the investigation. The US should acknowledge its role in the laboratory work, and therefore, its co-responsibility in investigating the possible origins of the virus.”

Dr Sachs said rich countries had also not generously shared their knowledge, especially on vaccines, adding that the major regions including the United States, Euro­pean Union, China, India, Russia and Asean had not attempted any kind of coordinated response.

“The global financing system has favoured the rich countries, providing too little support to developing countries,” he said.

“The culture in many societies – such as the United States – has put personal behaviour ahead of the social good.

“In the name of ‘liberty’, Americans have failed to follow basic rules and protocols, and the disease has therefore been allowed to run rampant in the US.”

WONG CHUN WAI

> See the full interview on Let’s return to reason and science - Award-winning Jeffrey D. Sachs is an economics professor, best-selling author, innovative educator and a global leader in sustainable development. He serves as the director of the Center for Sustainable Develop­ment at Columbia University in New York, and is a University Professor, Columbia’s highest academic rank.

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 Let’s return to reason and science

  Looking ahead: Malaysia’s Institute for Medical Research is currently working on a few Covid-19 vaccines. — SAMUEL ONG/The Star

 Internationally renowned academician Professor Dr Jeffrey Sachs, who heads the Lancet Covid-19 Commission, shares his views in an exclusive interview on the fight against the pandemic, the US-China rivalry and his call to Malaysia to produce its own vaccine.

The United States should learn some good manners to work cooperatively with China, rather than trying to impose its will on that nation," said renowned U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs.

  

Prof Dr Sachs: Malaysia started late in vaccination because it’s not a vaccine producer, but now, the country is catching up. Malaysia should aim to produce vaccines in the future.

> The Lancet Covid-19 Commission was created to help speed up global, equitable and lasting solutions to the pandemic. How much has been achieved and what are the hurdles?

The global response to the pandemic has been wholly inadequate. This results from five main factors:

(1) The epidemic has been handled as a matter of national policy-making, without adequate regional and global coordination;

(2) The major regions, including the US, EU, China, India, Russia and Asean, have not attempted any kind of coordinated response;

(3) The rich countries have not fairly shared their technologies, especially on vaccines;

(4) The global financing system has favoured the rich countries, providing too little support to the developing countries;

(5) The culture in many societies – such as the United States – have put personal behaviour ahead of the social good. In the name of “liberty”, Americans have failed to follow basic rules and protocols, and the disease has therefore been allowed to run rampant in the United States.

Perhaps the main geopolitical problem has been the failure of the US to work with China for global solutions. This is tragic, since China has done an excellent job of suppressing the pandemic, and the world could and should have learned a lot more from China’s response.

> On a personal level, what is your role?

I am participating in policy discussions almost daily with governments and international organisations, as well as with the Commissioners and the experts on our various task forces. My job is to help coordinate the work of the Commission, and to oversee the drafting of various statements and the final report, which will be published in mid-2022.

While the world still battles the raging pandemic, new variants have surfaced, making it harder to contain the problem.

> What are your views on the continuing obstacles?

The delta variant has been a huge setback, but given the faulty policies by so many governments around the world, the emergence of new variants like delta has been made much more likely by the delays in comprehensively suppressing the virus. We should have known better but failed to act wisely.

> Vaccination remains the most effective way to fight the pandemic. What is your view on how Malaysia is handling its vaccination exercise?

We know that the vaccines are not enough to stop transmission – as Israel has shown (with high vaccine coverage but a strong epidemic). Vaccines cut serious disease, but do not stop transmission by themselves. Thus, countries need to combine vaccination with strong suppression policies (based on social distancing, prohibition of super-spreader events, face mask wearing, widespread and readily available testing, emphasis on outdoor rather than indoor activities, contact tracing, and other measures). Malaysia started late in vaccination because it’s not a vaccine producer, but now, the country is catching up. Malaysia should aim to produce vaccines in the future.

> Obtaining vaccines continues to be an issue for many developing countries. It’s worse in Africa. How real is the hoarding of vaccines by powerful developed countries?

Very real. The failure of the vaccine-producing countries to come up with a plan to scale up production and distribution of vaccines to developing countries is a great disappointment. It is a moral failure as well as a practical failure, leading to more deaths and more chances of dangerous variants.

> Many scientists have said the third vaccination – the booster – isn’t necessary as it will further deprive many countries from having access to the supply. What are your thoughts?

The evidence is not comprehensive, but it is a shame for rich countries to give the third dose without even a plan for the first dose in much of the world. That is unwise, unfair, and immoral in my view. The US, China, Russia, EU, UK, and India should present a coherent, coordinated plan for global vaccination coverage, and the US and EU should waive IP (intellectual property) to facilitate the scale-up of vaccine production in more countries. China, for example, should be helped to speed the production of mRNA vaccines.

> Ordinary people are overloaded with all kinds of information. Vaccines – whether they are Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac, are basically the same, but because the US, Europe and China have adopted different requirements, it has led to anxiety for securing entry into these countries. What are your views on this?

Once again, there is too little coordination and cooperation among the major countries, and too little sharing of information.

> Can you comment on how politics, especially geopolitical rivalry, can be separated from science?

The United States should learn some good manners, to work cooperatively with China rather than try to impose its will on the country.

> What is your comment on the increasing friction between China and the US over the origins of the coronavirus and the pressure on the WHO to have another round of investigations to determine its source?

Both governments have information that they should add to the investigation on the origin of the virus. Indeed, much of the research underway at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was a joint US-China project, with funding by the US. Therefore, there is no cause for finger-pointing by one country at the other. We need scientific cooperation between the US and China in the search for the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

> What should the US and China be doing in the fight against the pandemic, instead of having this side issue? How can both sides work together and in what areas can they combine resources? Both sides have accused each other of the virus originating from lab leaks.

As I just mentioned, scientists from the two countries have actually been working together on SARS-like viruses. The two governments should be cooperating transparently together. Both should be adding more information to the investigation. The US should acknowledge its role in the laboratory work, and therefore, its co-responsibility in investigating the possible origins of the virus.

> The WHO’s team, comprising experts from China and other countries, arrived in Wuhan for a month’s investigations into the origins of the virus. There is now another request for a follow up probe while China has also demanded a separate investigation into Fort Detrick in the US. What is your take?

We need a clear investigation of the joint US-China research programme to see if, by some terrible accident, it somehow contributed to a research-related spill over event. That is one hypothesis that needs investigation, along with various possibilities of natural spill over events.

> Finally, in the post Covid-19 pandemic world, how should the world and health experts brace for more infectious diseases?

We have many disease crises around the world, ranging from known infectious diseases that are not yet properly controlled (such as Malaria, worm infections, TB, HIV, etc.), as well as emerging infectious diseases such as Covid-19, non-communicable diseases (such as the global diabetes epidemic), and environmental ills (such as lung and cardiovascular diseases caused by air pollution). We should be investing far more resources into epidemiology, disease surveillance, disease prevention, and disease treatments. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria should become the Global Health Fund, to finance the response to the global disease burden in developing countries. All of this requires foresight, long-term thinking, and more resources from the rich world

 

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‘Use science, not politics’ 

 

 World scientists slam COVID-19 ‘lab-leak’ theory; Western scientists face government probe, death threats for opposing COVID-19 lab-leak theory

 

 

WHO-China joint report on virus origins:Wuhan Lab-leak is "extremely unlikely", ‘more states should be probed’...

 

Lie, Smear campaign of COVID-19 origin probe;Cornerstone of strategic deterrence

 

Smear campaign serving

The US has found the world order quickly shifting and is feeling uneasy with the challenge from China.

 China says ‘no’ to US smears over COVID-19 as 20 million Chinese petition for Fort Detrick probe

 

 Update Online petition for Fort Detrick probe draws 20m signatures; China urges US to open UNC lab, disclose military games patients...

 

Virus probe needs more early samples, countries: scientists

 

  United States, terrorist in virus origins tracing

 

 

China in top spot for research amid US struggling to ‘contain’ China rise

 

 Botched Afghan retreat reveals an America struggling to contain China

` Unable to better China in positive competition and with military options unfeasible, the US can only fall back on the ‘moral high ground’. But in its hasty Afghan withdrawal, to focus on China, the US risks losing even this - Dr. Zhengxu Wang