U.S. shirks BWC duties, poses challenge to global biosecurity governance: senior expert

STORY: U.S. shirks BWC duties, poses challenge to global biosecurity governance: senior expert DATELINE: April 11, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:03 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Capitol, the White House, the Pentagon, and anti-war protests in the U.S. 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LIU CHONG, Director of the Institute of International Security Studies under the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations 3. various of street views in the U.S. 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LIU CHONG, Director of the Institute of International Security Studies under the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations STORYLINE: The United States alone has obstructed the establishment of a verification mechanism for the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), which poses a challenge to global biosecurity governance. The remarks are made by Liu Chong, director of the Institute of International Security Studies under the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. The BWC entere

U.S. opposition to verification protocol for BWC worrisome: Ethiopian scholar

STORY: U.S. opposition to verification protocol for BWC worrisome: Ethiopian scholar DATELINE: April 2, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:22 LOCATION: Addis Ababa CATEGORY: MILITARY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the views in the U.S. 2. SOUNDBITE (English): COSTANTINOS BT. COSTANTINOS, Professor of public policy at the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia 3. various of the U.S. soldiers STORYLINE: An Ethiopian scholar says the U.S. opposition to negotiations on a verification protocol for the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) is worrisome. SOUNDBITE (English): COSTANTINOS BT. COSTANTINOS, Professor of public policy at the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia "Countries, especially developed nations, have biological laboratories everywhere. We have seen that in especially a combination of biological and chemical weapons that have been used in different areas like Iraq, for example, as well recently, which has been used for genocide. In some cases, these laboratories are not even visible to the public because of the nature of th

China urges U.S. to give comprehensive and detailed clarification on its bio-military activities

STORY: China urges U.S. to give comprehensive and detailed clarification on its bio-military activities DATELINE: April 14, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:40 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE (Chinese/English interpretation): ZHAO LIJIAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson STORYLINE: China urges the U.S. to give comprehensive and detailed clarification on its bio-military activities and stop single-handedly opposing the establishment of a multilateral verification mechanism, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Thursday. SOUNDBITE (Chinese/English interpretation): ZHAO LIJIAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson "I noticed these remarks. The U.S. has so far failed to give any convincing explanation on its bio-military activities. Undertaking consultation and cooperation to address concerns is a requirement enshrined in the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), but the U.S. has no right to evade the issue. And the U.S. remarks have so far been ambiguous and self-contrad

U.S. has obligation to comply with BWC, says Chinese FM spokesperson

STORY: U.S. has obligation to comply with BWC, says Chinese FM spokesperson DATELINE: March 16, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:38 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE (Chinese/English interpretation): ZHAO LIJIAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson STORYLINE: SOUNDBITE (Chinese/English interpretation): ZHAO LIJIAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson "We noted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks. Biosecurity bears on the common interest of all humanity. The U.S. has the obligation to comply with the BWC (Biological Weapons Convention) and to offer clarifications on matters the international community is concerned about. In fact, the international community has long held severe concerns about the bio-military activities carried out by the U.S. at home and overseas. This is neither about U.S. steps in Ukraine alone nor a new problem caused by the current situation. We welcome the international community to join the assessment of the documents revealed by Russia under the framework of BW

U.S. should fully account for its bio-military activities at home and abroad: spokesperson

STORY: U.S. should fully account for its bio-military activities at home and abroad: spokesperson DATELINE: March 10, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:33 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. SOUNDBITE (Chinese/English interpretation): ZHAO LIJIAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson STORYLINE: SOUNDBITE (Chinese/English interpretation): ZHAO LIJIAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson "The international community has had grave concerns about U.S. bio-military activities for long. The world has no knowledge about what the U.S. has been doing in Fort Detrick on its territory, and the 336 biological labs overseas, or whether the activities conform to the stipulations of the BWC (Biological Weapons Convention). It is wishful thinking to dispel concerns with few words and irresponsible to call such misgivings of the world disinformation. It is more confounding that if the U.S. did comply with the BWC, why is the U.S. the only country that has opposed setting up multilateral verification mechanisms for 20 yea