Professor who thanked Dr.Fauci for dismissing lab leak theory maintains close ties with China

Walter Ian Lipkin, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, who thanked Dr. Anthony Fauci last year for dismissing claims that the virus escaped from a Wuhan lab, has reportedly maintained close ties with China and members of the Chinese Communist Party.

Lipkin, on 5 May last year wrote to Fauci “We deeply appreciate your efforts in steering and messaging.”

Lipkin forwarded an email from Chen Zhu, vice-chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China along with his email.

Due to redactions made before the email was released via Buzzfeed, some contents of the email are still unknown.

Lipkin and Zhu had worked together on the SARS outbreak when Lipkin served as an intermediary between the WHO and the Chinese government.

Lipkin had also traveled to China to study the coronavirus in late January last year. Lipkin had dismissed the lab leak theory within two weeks of research.