Chinese virologist Li-Meng Yan, who previously claimed that the coronavirus was created in a Wuhan laboratory, has said she now fears the Chinese government is using her family members to lure her back to China. Yan, who has been living in hiding in the United States since 2020, said this could be an attempt to carry out what she called “the perfect crime” and silence her claims about the virus.
Yan became widely known after she said she had evidence proving that Covid-19 was engineered in a Wuhan lab. At the time, she was working at a major laboratory at the University of Hong Kong along with her husband. As the pandemic grew, she became convinced that the Chinese government had intentionally developed and released the virus. These claims were reported by several US media outlets, including the New York Post.
Her accusations, she said, created tension within her family. Yan fled China with the help of conservative groups in the US that supported her statements. According to the New York Times, her flight ticket to the US was paid for by a foundation linked to former White House strategist Steve Bannon and exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui. They also helped arrange meetings with top advisers of Donald Trump.
In interviews, Yan said the Chinese Communist Party had used her parents and her husband, virologist Ranawaka Perera, to try and pressure her into returning. She believes this was aimed at hiding the truth about the virus. Reports say that after speaking with doctors in Wuhan in early 2020, she suspected officials were concealing key information and began sharing her concerns on social media with the help of Beijing critics.
However, her husband Perera says she was influenced by online personalities who promoted her as a Covid-19 expert. One of them, Wang Dinggang, runs a YouTube channel critical of Beijing and has been accused of spreading misinformation. In 2023, both Yan and Wang were named as victims in a US case involving alleged Chinese police operations in America.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
