It's a mud fight. Many countries have succeeded in convincing chunks of their population that China should be viewed (and by extension, treated) as an enemy. I

It's a mud fight. Many countries have succeeded in convincing chunks of their population that China should be viewed (and by extension, treated) as an enemy. I too doubt anything major (armed conflict) will happen, but if the western world gangs up on China, there might be a trend to economically disassociate away from China - and the ensuing disruption is what people are worried about. That is a real possibility IMO. >and not as the "US-Chinese experimental virology" hypothesis. Because the US (the country) is not directly responsible for the 'leak' beyond providing some capital - $600,000 is the number I've seen - which is negligible in a biotech organizations' operating budget. We're a small company and we burn through that in under a month. >Who, in particular, should retaliation be pointed at? China? China and the US? The Wuhan lab and their international collaborators? The academic-industrial complex? Well the lab is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences which is part of the government. So it all depends on where the buck stops in your view.