Plausible deniability would allow some sacrifice for the greater good and the party. Read the 2030 pdf file on chinese world view and supremecy of their culture ...but more importantly their need for living space as their carrying capacity is over extended currently and they are in a struggle to the death with U.S.A. their doctrine was to forgo carrier battle groups for biological warfare research and would only use thé weapons when sufficient defences where emplaced around their medium to large cities to absorb the coming nuclear counter strike. The western directed Hong Kong insurection is probably the nail in the coffin as the party has a fear of another Tiananmen incident which nearly collapsed the party. I suspect a weakened form has been unleashed in china while concurrent release of a more potent variant is taking place. Time will be of the essence in their planning if it is a bioweapon and at very least it will be used to shut down dissent in the territories