The CCP doesn’t think they know how science works. They generally try to copy Western judgements for what good science happens to be. That’s why they pay their scientists based on their ability to publish in Western journals.
Getting Western grant money is a signal that what Shi is doing is good science to the CCP. While it’s not certain that the signal tiped the scales to allow the WIV to do their research when they lacked enough trained personal to do so safely (that’s what they told US diplomats in 2018), it might have tipped the scales against letting them operate this way.
Generally, it also makes no sense to give Western grant money to Chinese Institutes when they would do the same work if you wouldn’t fund them with Western grant money. Giving that grant money only makes sense when you think it influences what research they are doing.
I think you mean funded
if hadn’t, the CCP could have funded it anyway.
The CCP doesn’t think they know how science works. They generally try to copy Western judgements for what good science happens to be. That’s why they pay their scientists based on their ability to publish in Western journals.
Getting Western grant money is a signal that what Shi is doing is good science to the CCP. While it’s not certain that the signal tiped the scales to allow the WIV to do their research when they lacked enough trained personal to do so safely (that’s what they told US diplomats in 2018), it might have tipped the scales against letting them operate this way.
Generally, it also makes no sense to give Western grant money to Chinese Institutes when they would do the same work if you wouldn’t fund them with Western grant money. Giving that grant money only makes sense when you think it influences what research they are doing.