National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan went on no less than three Sunday shows. During the shows where he was asked about China, he provided no new reassurances.
While "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace had more so relentlessly pushed former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the origins of the coronavirus last week, he saved it for Sullivan's last question:
WALLACE: Does Joe Biden think that that is enough, China's effort to be seen in a certain way on the world stage, that's enough to get access to what happened in Wuhan and is the president willing to let the WHO conduct a second investigation when there is compromises they are or is he going to insist that if there is an investigation, if China cooperates, it's an independent investigation?
SULLIVAN: What Joe Biden did in Europe this week was rally the democratic world to speak with a common voice on this issue for the first time since COVID broke out. President Trump wasn't able to do it. President Biden was.
He got the G7 to endorse a statement saying in unison that China must allow an investigation to proceed within its territory. And it is that diplomatic spade work, rallying the nations of the world, imposing political and diplomatic pressure on China, that is a core part of the effort we are undertaking to ultimately face China with a stark choice, either they will allow, in a responsible way, investigators in to do the real work of figuring out where this came from, or they will face isolation in the international community.
And, finally, the president reserves the right, through our own analysis, our own intelligence community's efforts that he has directed, and through other work that we will do with allies and partners to continue pressing on every front until we get to the bottom of how this virus came into the world and who has accountability for that.
It's a shame that Wallace did not have more time to press Sullivan on this issue, especially when it comes to holding the Biden administration's feet to the fire in thinking how and why it is the president thinks WHO is worth trusting. The administration has consistently indicated the agency is worth working with, despite all evidence to the contrary, and it's imperative to at the least press them on why that is.
As I recently reported, the WHO investigation paid scant attention to the lab leak theory, mostly dismissing it as part of "conspiracy theories." The only American allowed to participate was EcoHealth Alliance's Peter Daszak, who served as the lead of the "Animal and Environment" subgroup.
Such a dismissal is hardly surprising, considering the public release of Dr. Anthony Fauci's emails revealed that Daszak had emailed Fauci to thank him for comments that Daszak said "will help dispel the myths being spun around the virus’ origins."
The taxpayer funded EcoHealth Alliance funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology for gain of function research, yet Daszak was still allowed to serve as a lead for the investigation.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) has been particularly concerned about such a connection, and told Townhall that Dasazk "corrupted" the investigation.
Further, as Katie reported last week at the conclusion of the G7 summit, the countries there agreed to "hold China accountable," though that will likely amount to just another investigation from the WHO.
China does not respond to empty threats, which is all the administration has been good for. This is also the case when it comes to participating in the 2022 Olympic Games being held in Beijing, despite bipartisan and international calls to press the games to be held elsewhere.
The discussion was more substantive on CNN's "State of the Union," with Dana Bash questioning Sullivan:
BASH: Let's turn to China.
We still don't know whether the coronavirus developed naturally or whether it came from a lab in Wuhan. China is stonewalling an investigation. And you said that we just can't take this lying down. So, what does that mean in practical terms? If China won't allow access, will the United States consider action against China to increase the pressure?
SULLIVAN: Well, first, Dana, there are two tracks that we're operating on in terms of trying to get to the bottom of how COVID-19 came into the world.
One track is an intelligence community assessment that President Biden ordered. That has a 90-day clock on it. And, in August, the intelligence community will report back. The second track is an international investigation led by the World Health Organization, for which President Biden has rallied Democratic partners to say there must be access to China to be able to get the data necessary to understand what happened here.
We are not, at this point, going to issue threats or ultimatums. What we're going to do is continue to rally support in the international community. And if it turns out that China refuses to live up to its international obligations, we will have to consider our responses at that point, and we will do so in concert with allies and partners.
BASH: Does that sound like not taking it lying down? Sounds like giving them a lot of time.
SULLIVAN: Well, this is not a question of time, Dana.
First of all, we are in the process of using our own capacities, our own capabilities to begin to develop a clearer picture. And then, secondly, in order to build the kind of international consensus around this issue that will be required to put additional pressure on China, that takes diplomatic spadework.
It's spadework the president carried forward in a major way at the G7, getting for the first time something the last administration could not get, which was the democratic world speaking out with one voice on this issue. And then we will take it from there.
And so, yes, I will repeat what I said before. We're not going to simply accept China saying no. But we will work between now and when this second phase of the WHO investigation is fully under way to have as strong a consensus in the international community as possible, because it is from that position of strength that we will best be able to deal with China.
It very much is a matter of time though, especially as the Communist Party of China and the WHO can benefit from time to further their cover-up. It's worth stressing that Wallace pressed Pompeo last week on the amount of time it has been.
Yet Sullivan still concedes they "are not... going to issue threats or ultimatums."
Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan refuses to name any pressure Biden will put on China to allow a COVID investigation pic.twitter.com/uqaWqbPqRU
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 20, 2021
Sullivan mentioned not once, but twice, in this exchange that the United States plans to work in concert with the WHO. That's all we need to know, which is that the administration is not taking the matter with the urgency it deserves.
George Stephanopoulos did not ask Sullivan anything about China during Sunday's "This Week" on ABC.