A tidbit of background ref: (novel coronavirus) = (Wuhan Epicenter)

==Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory Is a Sino-French Venture/Collaboration==

(China Daily Published: 2018-01-07)

"China's top-level biosafety lab begins operation"

"The lab provides a complete, world-leading biosafety system. This means Chinese scientists can study the most dangerous pathogenic microorganisms in their own lab," the Wuhan institute said.

It will serve as the country's research and development center on prevention and control of infectious diseases, as a pathogen collection center and as the United Nations' reference laboratory for infectious diseases, the institute said.

The lab is part of Sino-French cooperation in the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, according to the news release.

The central government approved the P4 laboratory in 2003 when the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome spread alarm across the country. In October 2004, China signed a cooperation agreement with France on the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases. This was followed by a succession of supplementary agreements.

With French assistance in laboratory design, biosafety standards establishment and personnel training, construction began in 2011 and lasted for three years. In 2015, the lab was put into trial operation.

French Delegation Visited Wuhan Lab: (January 24, 2019)

(Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS - 08-03-2019)

"French Delegation visited Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, CAS"

On Jan 24, Mr. Olivier GUYONVARCH, the Consul General of France in Wuhan, Mr. Pierre LEMOND, the Counselor from the Embassy of France in China, and Mr. Yann MOREAU, the new Science and Technology Attaché from Consulate General of France in Wuhan visited Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory (Wuhan P4 Laboratory), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Prof. GONG Peng, the Deputy Director General of Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), CAS, accompanied by Prof. YUAN Zhiming, the Director of Wuhan P4 Laboratory, Prof. SHI Zhengli and Prof. SONG Donglin, the Deputy Directors of Wuhan P4 Laboratory, and Mr. Rene COURCOL, the International Technical Expert for the P4 Project met the delegation.

On the symposium, Prof. YUAN Zhiming expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the French side for its long-term support and assistance to the construction of Wuhan P4 laboratory. Mr. Rene Courcol made a phased work report on the construction of the laboratory’s quality control system and the comparative study of the procedural documents of the Chinese and French laboratories. The organization of the next meeting of the Sino-French Steering Committee, the sharing of related resources between China and France, and the import of positive pressure protective clothing from P4 laboratories had been deeply exchanged and discussed. The French side indicated that it will actively promote exchanges between the two sides.

Prof. Gong Peng said that Wuhan P4 Laboratory, as one of the important achievements in the cooperation between China and France in the field of prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, had been widely supported by the Chinese and French governments. This meeting has enhanced mutual understanding and proposed a lot of constructive opinions, which will effectively promote the cooperation between the two sides to achieve substantive progress and results in the future.

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Sauce to add to the (coronavirus outbreak event)

http://chinaplus.cri.cn/news/china/9/20180107/74886.html

http://english.whiov.cas.cn/ne/201903/t20190308_206695.html