The Biden administration has announced that it is launching a CIA-led investigation into the possible origins of coronavirus in a Chinese laboratory. Perhaps I am not alone in thinking that there are better uses for the Agency's resources. It is known that the ultimate origin of infectious diseases lie in animal spieces, and that human encroachment on animal habitats makes such transfers more likely. Many scholars of this subject, such as the historian William H. McNeill and the ecologist Andreas Malm, have made this point. The issue as to whether the immediate cause was a lapse of security at a laboratory in Wuhan is a second order problem. (The Chinese authorities are not going to let on, in any case). International preparations for the high probability of future pandemics would, therefore, be in order, rather than fruitlessly chasing wild geese.
There is also the distinct danger of fuelling Sinophobia. There is a clear distinction between the activities of the Chinese government, which can be very reasonably subjected to severe censure, and the Chinese people. However, the distinction between the two is not always made. As unscrupulous demagogues (such as Trump) know, a store of racist stereotypes exists to fan the flames of anti-East Asian hatred. If the Biden administration scapegoats China, when the real culprit is the exploitative relationship between humanity and nature, an upsurge in xenophobia and racism may be inevitable.
As 'decarbonisation' becomes an ever more pressing factor in diplomacy, so, in several ways, does the necessity for co-operation between China and other parts of the Global North. The problems of reducing emissions and of arms control are obvious. However, as the political scientist Michael Klare has recently pointed out in a TomDispatch blogpost (published by 'The Nation', a leftwing American periodical), China possesses a very significant proportion of rare earth elements, many of which are essential for environmentally friendly technologies. As the environmental dangers to life grow, so does the pressing reality of choosing between unpalatable options. If the Biden administration puts a priority on saving humanity, it has to maintain a relationship with China which is more or less harmonious, despite the terrible treatment of the Uighurs, and everything else.