Chairman Mike Gallagher and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party have raised concerns about Chinese biotech companies operating in the U.S. and their potential ties to the Chinese military. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the lawmakers highlighted the need to identify and label Chinese companies aiding the CCP in military biotech research as ‘Chinese Military Companies.’
Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi emphasized the urgency of the situation, pointing to the CCP's ambitions in biotechnology and military-civil science and technology collaboration. They stated, “The PRC’s 14th Five-Year Plan identifies dominance in biotechnology as critical to ‘strengthen the PRC’s science and technological power’ and calls to deepen military-civil science and technology collaboration in the sector.” The lawmakers stressed the importance of taking action to address the threat posed by these companies.
The letter called for the Pentagon to consider labeling several biotech companies as ‘Chinese Military Companies,’ including MGI Group, Origincell, Vazyme Biotech, and Axbio. The lawmakers provided detailed information on each company's affiliations and activities that raise concerns about their ties to the Chinese military and the CCP.
One of the companies highlighted in the letter is Innomics and its subsidiary STOmics, which are linked to PLA-affiliated firm BGI. The lawmakers pointed out that Innomics recently registered to conduct business operations in the U.S., while STOmics has ties to MGI and Complete Genomics, both subsidiaries of BGI. Origincell, Vazyme Biotech, and Axbio were also singled out for their connections to the PLA and CCP, as well as their involvement in military-related projects and collaborations with foreign entities.
In their letter, Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi called on the Pentagon to swiftly implement the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which requires the identification and listing of problematic Chinese biotechnology companies. They requested a briefing with Select Committee staff to discuss the Defense Department's plan to address this issue by May 1, 2024.
The lawmakers concluded by emphasizing the importance of addressing the threat posed by Chinese biotech companies operating in the U.S. and their potential links to the Chinese military. The letter serves as a call to action for the Pentagon to take proactive measures to safeguard national security interests in the face of growing challenges in the biotechnology sector.
