MIAMI — In a news conference Monday decrying Chinese espionage and the theft of trade secrets by members of the Communist Party of China, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed China for trying to "cover up the origins of COVID-19."
"It's pretty clear that this was a virus that almost assuredly leaked out of this lab in Wuhan," DeSantis said. "This is a lab where these scientists were working closely with the Communist Party of China, as well as the Chinese military."
While President Joe Biden has called for an investigation into COVID-19's origin by the U.S. intelligence community, claims by Gov. DeSantis that the virus leaked from a lab are neither confirmed nor verified.
“The United States will also keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and to provide access to all relevant data and evidence," Biden said at the time.
The efforts will work to provide further evidence on whether the virus could have emerged from human contact, an infected animal, or a laboratory accident.
Other claims made by DeSantis include the pandemic exposing relationships between Chinese institutions, particularly research institutions, and U.S. bureaucrats and that corporate media in the U.S. are trying to suppress the "truth about the lab leak theory."
"Enough is enough," DeSantis said. "We've got to start fighting back."
That's why he says he signed two bills looking to prevent foreign influence from several countries, including China.
The measures include preventing academic institutions from establishing foreign-language or cultural programs from certain countries, including China, North Korea, Syria and more.
The legislation is also said to put strategic safeguards in place through strengthening institutional vetting and applying strategic protections. The bills would also reinforce Florida's law enforcement agencies to investigate and apply penalties to those participating in corporate espionage.
That includes the controversial Confucius Institute, which the state of Florida terminated partnerships with in 2019.
"There is no single entity that exercises a more pervasive, nefarious influence across a wide range of American industries and institutions than the Communist Party of China," DeSantis said.
Florida's "Foreign Influence" bill will become law on July 1, 2021, with the "Corporate Espionage" bill becoming law later this year on October 1.
RELATED: Gov. DeSantis highlights proposed legislation aimed at combatting foreign influence in the state
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