Mike Pompeo in blistering attack on Covid's 'grossly negligent manslaughter' in China

The former US Secretary of State raged over Beijing's handling of the Covid crisis, saying that "if I was a good prosecutor ", he could condemn President Xi Jinping

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (

Image: Reuters)

The former top US envoy today launched a stunning attack on China over the coronavirus pandemic.

Ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has lashed out at Beijing's handling of the Covid crisis, suggesting President Xi Jinping may be guilty of grossly negligent manslaughter.

Allegations persist that an accidental leak from a lab in China may have been responsible for the initial outbreak.

Beijing's critics believe the lingering cloud of secrecy has fueled a cover-up that prevented international agencies from being alerted to the disease sooner - and prevented them from trying to contain the virus in China.< /p>

The review focused on the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where bat-related viruses have been studied.

An estimated 6.3 million people have died worldwide from coronavirus, with the disease also ravaging economies.

“We know where this thing came from, precisely, and yet Xi has now authorized this virus – a virus he knew to be very contagious and relatively deadly – ​​and he sent thousands of people on planes to Milan” , he fumed.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology (

Picture:

AFP via Getty Images)

"If I was a good prosecutor, I could be grossly negligent and I could at least be the victim of what we in the United States call a 'Murder 2'; six million people."< /p>

Former UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who also served as Health Secretary, has called for a 'pandemic treaty' so countries can be honest with each other to reduce the impact of pandemics. epidemics.

He told the Institute for Government think tank: "Because of globalization, we are much more exposed to viruses that take root in any corner of the world, so I think it's really important that we improve in the detection of viruses that can be dangerous.

"I really like the idea...of a pandemic treaty where countries agree to full transparency on all the viruses they carry...