Here's another possibility @Mr Anderson turned me on to:

It's quite possible that the CCP also didn't understand the extent of what-the-hell Batman, Baric, and Bat Lady et al were up to. Likely even.

As they point out in the missive - the whole crazy GoF thing was a western scientists' invention. Which is true. When it was banned in 2014 in the US, it migrated to China - at a time when the CCP was busily milking western academics for their tech secrets.

With GoF brought to you by Pete & Ralph though - did they get more than they bargained for?

This proposition is very intriguing, and quite possible. It would explain a lot with regards to confusion in initial messages out of China and the teamwork of the western 'experts' and the CCP.