The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has released the findings of its inquiry into the illicit secret laboratory owned by Chinese entities in California. The detailed investigation that began earlier this year has finally concluded, bringing to light startling revelations about the lab's operations and its potential threats.
The report from the committee kicks off with a brief history of how things unraveled. Last year, the secret Chinese-owned establishment in Reedley was exposed and subsequently shut down. Concerns were raised by lawmakers regarding the potential safety threat the facility could have posed to Americans. Suspicions of malicious intent by the CCP led to an inquiry into the lab's origins and purpose earlier this year, which included the issuance of a subpoena to the City by the Select Committee, according to a press release from the Select Committee on the CCP.
The report then dives into some specifics about evidence gathered and entities involved. Initially, the Select Committee obtained "thousands of pages of documents, hundreds of photographs, and hours of video" as part of their inquiry. Universal Meditech Inc. and Prestige Biotech Inc. have been implicated for setting up the facility and having associations with Chinese companies. Additionally, they were under investigation for fraud and other allegations, according to a press release from the Select Committee on the CCP.
As per further details revealed through extensive research, On November 16, the comprehensive investigation results were disclosed, revealing that the facility was run by a Chinese citizen, a Canadian fugitive sought for "stealing American intellectual property." The lab received funding from banks in People's Republic of China (PRC) and housed numerous pathogens including COVID-19, tuberculosis and improperly stored potentially lethal agents like Ebola. Additionally, it housed thousands of mice with the purpose "to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) refused to help test anything found within the lab, according to the report by the Select Committee on the CCP.
Kevin McCarthy, Former Speaker, commented on these findings and suggested immediate action. "It wasn't until the select committee here got involved that the owner got arrested," said Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), according to footage of the investigation findings from the Select Committee. "Only then did we find out that CDC would finally get involved. In all these findings, what I think really comes forth is that we need to produce legislation to change this. We need safeguards on these pathogens; they should not be so freely available for purchase on the internet. Considering how deadly that could be to rest of this country, we must question: How many more labs like this exist throughout America? Is China involved in other labs inside America? Is China involved with pathogens inside America?"
In his concluding remarks, McCarthy emphasized further on protective measures. "What I'm looking forward to is advancement of legislation to bring us safeguards we need and continuing further investigation to really get to bottom of what China was doing inside America," continued McCarthy, according to Select Committee. "Moving millions of dollars and deadly pathogens just before our own nose that we did not know, we need safeguards and credibility back at CDC. We shouldn't have had to get involved for them to get involved but more importantly they didn't do their job and I think they need new guidelines in process ensuring their job is done along with new accountability at CDC."
