That seems disingenuous to me.
What is a "vaccine arms race"? What would be the point, what is the thing the vaccine is intended to fight?
Do you typically invent a virus when working to invent a vaccine?
Is that like trying to develop a better bullet-proof vest and accidentally inventing a better rifle?
I think the goal was to invent a bioweapon. Which is what they did.
Simple explanations are better.
Umm, that's too easy to answer; billions of dollars in profits.
How much is Big Pharma making from COVID-19 vaccines? We’re about to find out
How Big Pharma Profited During The Pandemic
According to the People's Vaccine Alliance, vaccine profits have created at least nine new billionaires, worth a combined $19.3 billion, which is enough to fully vaccinate some 780 million people in low-income countries.
You and I had the pleasure of enriching these people, while we were simultaneously drained of our reserve resources.
“I think the goal was to invent a bioweapon. Which is what they did.”
Yes, the intent was to create one that would incapacitate and overwhelm (rather than outright kill), and use it on Taiwan prior to an invasion.