WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers are alarmed by the United States’ failure to compete with China in biotechnology, warning of risks to U.S. national security and commercial interests. But as tensions between the two countries extend to the biotech industry, some say shutting out Chinese companies will only hurt the United States.
Biotechnology promises to revolutionize everyday life, and scientists and researchers are using it to rapidly advance medicine, genetic engineering in agriculture, and new biomaterials. Because of its potential, it has attracted the attention of the Chinese and U.S. governments.
Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate that would prohibit “concerned foreign hostile biotechnology companies” from doing business with federally funded health care providers. The bill names four Chinese-owned companies.
The Chinese embassy said those behind the bill have “ideological bias” and are trying to suppress Chinese companies “under false pretexts.” It called for “open, fair and non-discriminatory treatment” for Chinese companies.
Biotechnology comes as the Biden administration seeks to stabilize volatile U.S.-China relations, which have been hit by a range of issues including the trade war, the coronavirus pandemic, cybersecurity and the militarization of the South China Sea. There is a debate surrounding this. .
Critics of the bill warn that restrictions on Chinese companies will hinder progress that could bring greater benefits.
“In biotech, you can’t stay competitive by separating yourself from others,” said Abigail Coplin, an assistant professor at Vassar College who specializes in China’s biotech industry. He said he was concerned that U.S. policymakers would focus too much on military uses of the technology at the cost of hindering efforts to treat diseases and feed the world’s population. .
In a letter to senators proposing the bill, Rachel King, CEO of the Biotechnology and Innovation Authority, an industry group, said the bill would “comprise currently approved treatments and commercially available treatments.” “This will cause untold damage to the drug development supply chain, both in terms of available treatments and their development.” The pipeline has been decades in the making. ”
But supporters say the bill is critical to protecting U.S. interests.
The U.S. Senate’s National Security Committee on Emerging Biotech, created by the U.S. Senate to review the industry, said the bill would help keep the federal government and Americans’ data safe and prevent unfair competition from Chinese companies. He said it would be.
The committee warned that advances in biotechnology could bring not only economic benefits but also rapid changes in military capabilities and tactics.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said much is at stake. Mr. Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican, introduced the House version of the bill and led a congressional delegation to Boston last week to meet with biotech executives.
“This is not just a supply chain battle, a national security battle, an economic security battle. I would argue that this is a moral and ethical battle,” Gallagher said. “Just as this field advances at a truly astronomical pace, the countries that win the competition will set the ethical standards for how these technologies are used.”
He argues that the United States needs to “set the rules of the road” or else “we will end up living in a freer, less moral world.”
The world’s two largest economies, the United States and China, both recognize biotechnology as an important national interest.
The Biden administration is advocating a “whole-of-government approach” to advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing, which are critical to health, climate change, energy, food security, agriculture, and supply chain resiliency. The stated goal is to maintain U.S. technological leadership and economic competitiveness.
The Chinese government has plans to develop a “national strategic technology force” in the field of biotechnology, which will be tasked with making breakthroughs and helping China achieve “technological independence” primarily from the United States. It turns out.
“Both the Chinese government and the United States recognize biotechnology as an important area for investment and an opportunity for economic growth,” said Tom Bollyky, chairman of global health at the Bloomberg Council on Foreign Relations. He said any restrictive U.S. measures should be tailored to address military concerns and concerns about the safety of genomic data.
“Of course there will be competition, but the difficult thing about biotechnology is that you’re talking about human health,” Bolky said.
Ray Yip, who founded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s China office, also worries that the conflict will slow medical progress.
Yip said the benefits of devising better diagnostics and treatments are significant beyond any country and “doesn’t overshadow the capabilities or prestige of the other country.”
Anna Puglisi, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technologies, is concerned about the Chinese government’s lack of transparency and unfair market practices. “Competition is one thing. Unfair competition is another thing,” she said.
Mr. Paglisi said that BGI, a major Chinese biotech company that was identified in both the House and Senate bills, would receive preferential treatment from the state in a system that “blurs the distinction between private and public, and private and military.” He said that he is a “defender of the nation” who is being held accountable. ”
“This system creates market distortions and undermines global scientific norms by using researchers, academic organizations and commercial organizations to advance national goals,” Paglisi said. .
BGI emphasizes that it is privately owned and offers genetic testing kits and popular prenatal screening tests to detect Down syndrome and other conditions. U.S. lawmakers have said they are concerned that such data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government.
The Pentagon has listed BGI as a Chinese military company, and the Commerce Department has blacklisted it on human rights grounds, citing risks that BGI’s technology may have contributed to surveillance. BGI rejected this claim.
In expressing concerns about BGI, the National Security Council on Emerging Biotechs said the company is required to share data with the Chinese government, is affiliated with the Chinese military, and has received significant funding and support from the Chinese government. He said he has received it.
The commission said the state grant has enabled BGI to offer genome sequencing services at highly competitive prices that are attractive to U.S. researchers. Once in the hands of the Chinese government, genomic data “becomes a strategic asset with privacy, security, economic and ethical implications,” the newspaper said.
BGI could not be reached for comment.
Wuxi AppTec, a Chinese pharmaceutical and medical device company, is also named in the bill. The bill states that the company poses a national security threat due to its ties to the Chinese military and its involvement in China’s plans to develop technology for both civilian and military use.
Wuxi AppTec said in a statement that it complies with the laws of the countries in which it operates and does not pose a security risk to any country. “Indeed, we serve as a valuable contributor to the global pharmaceutical and life sciences industries,” the company said in a statement.
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Associated Press writer Dake Kang in Beijing contributed to this report.