They were making deadly viruses in a lab. It’s like handing out loaded shotguns to school children then claiming anything that happens is an accident.

I agree with this statement, COVID is very likely to be an accident, unless it was created by a mad scientist or aliens, I can't think of any reason to artificially create COVID to harm the interests of China or other countries other than China.

I don't think it would have been unreasonable for a nation-state to imagine, pre-pandemic, that China would be better equipped to handle such a thing with their lack of individual rights and that it might provide a competitive advantage.

Bad for whom? Some billionaires reportedly believe in the discredited Malthusian population problem.