Sanctions in response to an investigation into the origins and spread of Covid are, in your mind, no less valid than, for example, sanctioning Russia over their invasion of Ukraine?

Yes the reason is the same. Hurt your enemies, benefit yourself. That's geopolitics. That's the same reason we sanction other countries. We want to hurt them and we want to benefit ourselves.

BTW the sanctions on Iraq were because some Saudis flew into a building in NY.