Well, politically speaking, sanctions would certainly be possible - if not for the virus they (hypothetically) created, then for what would in retrospect look l

Well, politically speaking, sanctions would certainly be possible - if not for the virus they (hypothetically) created, then for what would in retrospect look like (in this hypothetical) a clear attempt at a cover-up. That said: it doesn’t even need to go that far - whether the response should be punitive, it doesn’t need to be. The scientific communities in China and the west are collaborative and could negotiate agreements not to do GoF research. US groups were funneling money into China to do GoF research on coronaviruses, which could be stopped.