But a new U.S. intelligence report concludes that top officials in Beijing were in the dark in early January and that it was local officials in Wuhan and in Hubei Province who tried to hide information from central leadership. and other agencies, could lead to a shift in U.S. policy on China and how we talk about the virus’s timeline. Details: Local officials often withhold information from Beijing for fear of reprisal, current and former American officials say. It could give American officials a push to try to engage in good-faith negotiations with Beijing, he said. Related: The Trump administration suspended or terminated three agreements with Hong Kong covering extradition and tax exemptions.

Source: New York Times August 19, 2020 19:52 UTC