# The Jan 2020 WIV Conference
(under construction) An artistic guess at what went down at the Jan 11-14 WIV Annual Retreat.
# The Agenda
This is a docu-drama (some real quotes entwined) re-imagining the WIV Jan 11-14, 2020 Conference. (check date) aka *the [Annual Scientific Retreat](https://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/medicus/2021-issue2/covid19-pandemic-puzzle) at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,* as Duke Singapore puts it. Any resemblance to real persons is an educated fluke.
Linfa Wang, Chairman: *So let's start -** it’s now clear the virus has escaped into the community. (murmuring, agreement)*
*This has put us in a precarious position. Before we get started on our response plan, let me invite Party Committee Secretary He Chang-cai, who has a statement to read: *
[He Chang-cai](https://osp.od.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Yuan.pdf)**,** (Secretary Party Committee): Thank you Wang Chairman:
*The National Health Commission *[*unequivocally requires*](https://gulfnews.com/world/coronavirus-meet-the-legend-the-chinese-bat-woman-1.1587380739770)* that any tests, clinical data, test results, conclusions related to the epidemic shall not be posted on social media platforms, nor disclosed to any media outlets including government official media, nor shall it be disclosed to partner institutions. *
Wang Linfa: *So thats’ pretty clear. Thanks He Secretary.* *For partner institutions you can read EcoHealth, CSIRO, Columbia, Duke, UC Davis, Oxford/Edinburgh/Wellcome, Scripps, Sydney etc - all of them.
*
*If there are things you need to communicate, and there will be, it goes through me. I don’t need to tell you this - it’s a delicate situation - everything is on the line. Everything. The less moving parts on the China-West interface the better. (agreement, nodding)
*
*Now, our agenda here today is to discuss the steps required to deal with this crisis in the short term - with a long term view. *
In the short term, the best advice i can give is:
*Don't worry - be happy. (laughter)*
*First and foremost: we’re scientists - we stay calm in a crisis - we find solutions - that's what we do.
*
*It’s important to remember: we’ve been here before. There's a roadmap - it will get us out - if we follow it unflinchingly. The first rule is: act normally. For example, we'll still *[*go out to a restaurant every night*](https://www.science.org/content/article/biologist-helped-trace-sars-bats-now-hes-working-uncover-origins-covid-19)* - we'll mix together publicly - we must be seen behaving as if nothing is wrong.*
*Secondly: Speaking from the coalface of Hendra, then as a WHO investigator for SARS, etc, history teaches us that outbreaks present certain business-related implications that need to be … (Zhengli raises her arm) Yes, Zhengli …*
Zhengli:* Sorry, is this the right time to be talking about business opportunities? There's a highly contagious virus on the loose - I’m getting blamed for it on Weibo … it’s …*
Linfa:* Yes, yes, Zhengli I know.*
Zhengli: *I don’t think you do know. It’s ok for you - Mr. Invisible in Australia - I already had the Bat Lady nickname - so I’m the one out on a limb here - Now I …*
Wang Yanyi (WIV Director): Zhengli - this is not the right time to ...
*Zhengli: Now I wake up it’s vile abuse for breakfast - death threats, i’ve got …*
Wang Yanyi: Zhengli, we …Zhengli:* Have you even seen the hate-mail i’m getting?*
Linfa: *Yes, I have. It's abhorrent. We all feel for you and it’s important we do address it - we’ll talk about that this afternoon. For now, know that steps have been taken as of yesterday to filter out the disinformation trolls. We’ve got your back.*
*Zhengli: Sorry, it’s been stressful - sorry.*
*Linfa: Don’t be. But in answer to your question: yes, now **is** the right time to discuss financial decisions. That's how it works in the big-bad-world. If you want a market for novel virus drugs - you need a novel virus. For whatever reason - we’ve got one. This is our [silver-lining](https://www.theaustralian.com.au/science/batman-linfa-wang-to-the-rescue-with-covid-immunity-breakthrough/news-story/4993ce3d40904cca87c0370337b805a4). If we act in the moment, play our cards right, which is all we have to do, we're uniquely positioned to add unprecedented capital/influence. *
*Alignments of this magnitude do not come along every day. Director Wang has some immediate steps:*
Director Wang: *Zhengli, we need you to file applications to have [Remdesivir patented asap](https://gulfnews.com/world/coronavirus-meet-the-legend-the-chinese-bat-woman-1.1587380739770) - we know it kills the virus in vitro - it may be our antidote - that's big. Same-time start work on a Remdesivir paper, say it *[*inhibits virus infection efficiently*](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41422-020-0282-0)* in a human cell line - or something to that effect - we’ll get Nature to feature it. *
(paper published in [*Nature *Feb 4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41422-020-0282-0)) (\* [ Jay Hilotin,](https://gulfnews.com/world/coronavirus-meet-the-legend-the-chinese-bat-woman-1.1587380739770) [ Karishma Nandkeolyar](https://gulfnews.com/world/coronavirus-meet-the-legend-the-chinese-bat-woman-1.1587380739770) - great article that we first cited in [May 26, 2020](http://formosahut.com/forum/index.php?id=2056) - didn't realize how groundbreaking it was at the time.)Linfa: *There are billions to be made on Remdesivir alone - especially if we can make it the **only** approved drug. * (Zhengli jots it down)Director Wang: *Zhengli, where are we with (Wuhan Institute of) Biological Products on a vaccine?*
(WIBP, which [shares a complex with WIV](https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4137284), is the research hub of [Sinopharm](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02796-w) ([zero-effectivity](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/jj-sinopharm-sputnik-v-shots-weaker-against-omicron-study-shows-2021-12-17/) against Omicron, pedalled to poor countries), a bio-tech with BC [criminal form](https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/as-china-rolled-out-its-covid-19-shots-victims-of-earlier-vaccine-scandals-vanished/). WIBP has been named as a key dual-purpose bioweapons/defense facility ([China WMD report, PDF p67](https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/China_WMD_2000.pdf)))Zhengli: *Well, we were testing a promising candidate on bats as you know, when, uhm, the event, uhm, happened, so, very close. The main obstacle is logistically going through the official trials - that could take years to …*
Linfa: *Don’t worry about that - we can shave a couple of years off, no problem*. One year is perfect.
Gong Peng, Assistant Director: *Perfect?** You realize the virus will have spread world-wide by then? It's a crisis meeting right? When are we going to talk about immediate steps we can take to stop the spread? It’s still possible to stop this virus.
*
Linfa:* What virus?* (nervous laughter)
*Here's the thing. We don't want to stop it - not yet.*
# The Olympics of Governance
[Gong Peng (Deputy Director):](https://web.archive.org/web/20200224142240/http://www.whiov.ac.cn/jggk_105204/xrld/201312/t20131227_4006476.html) *Ignore it? You’re joking right? It will be our heads if this gets out. We can still stop this, it's ..*. (Xiao Secretary types something on his laptop.)**
Linfa: *Thankyou Gong Peng - it's our heads on the line, but not the way you think they are. Let me put it this way: you like sport, is that correct?*
Gong Peng: * Sure, i love it. Everyone knows.
*
Linfa: *Good - think of this as: *
*The Olympic Games of World Governance*
*In order to win the Olympics, you need a competition, is that correct?*
Gong Peng: Yes, is this a trick question*?*
Linfa: *In order for that to happen we need to let it to seep into the world first. It’s crucial we hold our nerve. The fact we could stop it now is exactly why we don't. Only when it infects the west do we institute our response. Xiao Secretary will explain.*
[Xiao Gengfu](https://web.archive.org/web/20200224142240/http://www.whiov.ac.cn/jggk_105204/xrld/201312/t20131227_4006476.html) (Secretary of Party Committee) *Everything is ready to go - we have pre-fab quarantine facilities that we can have up and running in a week - the ring-of-steel around Wuhan - the required personnel to secure Hubei is on alert.
*
Linfa: So let it run. We hold our nerve in the beginning. *Then we'll see who wins in the end.*
Gong Peng: *But millions of people will die …*
Linfa: *Millions of old, frail people, yes. It will scythe through that demographic. That’s sad. On the other hand, can you put your hand on your heart - as a scientist - and say that’s not exactly what the world needs right now?*Zhengli: *You mean to prevent climate change?*
Linfa: *Yes, that too. But we’re **too old** as a society. We’ve got a work-force from a 1 child generation as producers holding up an elderly generation of 4-6 children. How is that sustainable? Either economically, or in terms of resources? The world needs to lose population weight. That’s a cold-hard-fact. (Zhengli raises hand - Linfa hand signals to mean 'let me finish')
*
*Yes, there will be collateral damage - but the vast majority of death will be old &/or obese people with co-morbidities - 80% won’t even know they’ve had it. The good will outweigh the bad. I give you my word. Zhengli* (Linfa gestures open-palmed towards her):**
Zhengli: *So how long do we … stay silent?*
Linfa looks at Xiao Secretary) Xiao Secretary: After this conference Wang Professor has some other engagements*. He will fly out Jan 18. We wait five days, Jan 23. This is already coordinated with Tedros -Mike Ryan - they'll do everything they can to keep the world open until then. The modelling says this will be enough to let the genie fully out of the bottle.*
Gong Peng: *How they gonna do that?*
*Linfa: They'll say it's not as serious as flu - talk-down the effectiveness of masks - say we've been [transparent](http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-special-lipkin/)* (TS: 19:05) *- Ian will help with that, too.
*
Gong Peng: *Everyone knows masks work in the initial stages. They're cheap, accessible - how on earth will they sell that?
*
Linfa: Yeah,* it sounds mad to our way of thinking, but the west doesn’t have that mask-culture like we do. Ian thinks it's possible - in the initial stages at least, long enough. He and WHO will argue publicly there's no clear evidence that they work - people don't know how to use them, he’s a master at that.
*
Gong Peng:* Don't know how to use them?*
Linfa:* Instead, they will promote lockdowns as the best way to keep us safe. Our other way.
*
Zhengli: *Americans will never accept that. You've been in Australia too long - sure they will - Europe - but not the US.
*
*They will if they're persuaded it works. Ian will make a video with some Hollywood movie stars to promote lockdowns - show people how to wash your hands*
*What?!*
*He'll say [the world needs to follow our lead](http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-special-lipkin/) (TS: 19:05). But importantly, there will be no mention of masks in the video, coz we still want it to spread, obviously.
*
Zhengli: W*hich movie stars?*
Linfa:* It’s the Contagion cast, Kate Winslet will do the washing hands demonstration - (laughter) - [Matt Damon - he'll star as the lockdown advocate.](https://youtu.be/bkNjc8GZLls)
*
Zhengli: *Oh, I like Matt Damon!
*
Gong Peng: Me too - all-American action hero championing our lockdown system? (laughter)Wang Director: *So those are the broad strokes: Hold the line,* *Introduce the lockdown culture globally - then we hold the vaccine key up our sleeve as the only way out. *
Linfa Wang:* Gold Medal for the CCP system of government. We convince the world to adopt it of their own volition. Sun Tsu will be grinning.
*
# The Afternoon Session
Linfa: *To begin, I want to address the issues raised by Zhengli this morning regarding the online trolls. As mentioned, steps have been taken - Zhengli - if you still receive any negative messages then please report them to The Party via Gong Peng Secretary - he will follow up. In the meantime, it’s important you do not respond. *
Zhengli: *How can I defend … ?*
Linfa: *That’s our job. Do not respond. In fact, you're banned. We all are. This is a strict order from above - I fully agree with it.*
Zheng-li: *Ok, so we can put a stop to it here - what happens when it hits the west? You can't just censor information there ...*
Linfa: *Yes … and No. There are things we can do*. And this is what I want to address.
*There's Ian Lipkin, as we know, Eddie, Peter & Ralph of course, most of WHO - then there’s the people they know - the higher-ups, Fauci, Collins, Farrar, Drosten, Tedros - Nature, Lancet, Science etc… They’re all on board. *
*Then there's: who they know. *
*(Wang Director raises hand) Yes, Wang Director:*
Wang Director: * It’s important to see this in the overall context of our United Front Work Department program. Linfa of course was one of our model graduates in 1986 when he was placed at UC Davis, then CSIRO Australia. Today there are thousands of Chinese patriots seeding academic institutions globally - influencing the influencers This is something we have been patiently preparing for - Linfa is a pioneering hero in this Long March. (clapping)
*
Linfa: *Thanks Wang Director. I'm just a boring scientist at heart.* (laughter) *The point is, as you say, the thousands who've befriended networks - the goal is to connect the networks globally. The time to activate has arrived. This is what we’ve been waiting for. We're not going into this on a wing-and-a-prayer - we have capability
*
Wang Director: *Let’s not forget Biden - we have Hunter.*
Zhengli:* But Trump’s in charge - not Biden - he’s …*
Linfa: *For now. Let’s see how he goes with SARS-WIV-8 running rampant. *
*The fact is, this is our chance to demonstrate - to the world - that our system of government is ****the*** *best model for global adoption in the new era.
*
Zhengli: All these foreigners we’re relying on - I mean, I like Peter & Ian, but they're egotists - In ...
Linfa: Which is why flattery works so well on westerners!
Zhengli: Haha! But in the heat of battle, can we trust them - their temperament? Linfa: *Short answer: no. But we can trust them to protect their self-interests. They’re all in this as deep as we are. Deeper. They stand to gain enormously if we're successful - lose badly if we're not - worse than us, potentially - at least we have stable government backing us. *(audible assent from others) **
Zhengli: So *what are they going to do to help in a practical sense exactly? We need some public show of support, a statement.
*
Linfa: *Good question. Let’s take a 10-minute break - think about your suggestions - we'll discuss practicalities when we get back. I should mention, we're already negotiating a WHO investigation, so thoughts other than that.
*