China’s social media reels at Musk’s ‘bioweapon theory’ for Covid-19 pandemic

Chinese internet users react to claim that USAID-funded research led to creation of the virus, contradicting scientific consensus

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Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s claim on social media that the US Agency for International Development funded research into bioweapons has gone viral in China. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:59pm, 6 Feb 2025Updated: 2:57pm, 7 Feb 2025

Social media users in China are spreading Elon Musk’s claim that Covid-19 was caused by a bioweapon created with US funding – an allegation the tech billionaire made on Sunday as part of an attack on the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Musk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump – who tasked him with identifying government waste – earlier called for USAID to be shut down. His latest comment did not name China and appeared to be primarily directed at the agency and Democrats.

Musk’s post on X, the social media platform that he owns, included a post from another user who was promoting the view that the virus that causes Covid-19 may have arisen during research carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

So far, there is no scientific evidence that the virus was man-made and most of the world’s scientific community – as well as the World Health Organization – subscribe to the theory that it emerged naturally in the environment.

“Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including Covid-19, that killed millions of people?” wrote Musk, without providing any evidence to support his bioweapon claim.

While many comments on Chinese social media platform Weibo hailed Musk’s post as a revelation – “Covid-19 is a bioweapon. Musk has finally brought this to light,” said one – others questioned “why bring Wuhan and China into this again?” and asked “what is he implying”.

Beijing has not made an immediate response to Musk’s remarks and researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology declined to comment when contacted by the South China Morning Post.