How China is meddling in the search for the origins of COVID-19

'It has become a black hole of no information because of political sensitivity and secrecy'
AP (Associated Press)
Huanan market vendor Jiang Dafa
Huanan market vendor Jiang Dafa. Photo: AAP

Deep in the lush mountain valleys of southern China lies the entrance to a mine shaft that once harboured bats with the closest known relative of the COVID-19 virus.

The area is of intense scientific interest because it may hold clues to the origins of the coronavirus that has killed more than 1.7 million.