Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers in the U.S. Calls for Sanctions on Chinese Biotechnology Giant

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. on Monday, February 12, urged senior Biden administration officials to consider sanctions against the Chinese biotechnology company "WuXi AppTec" and its subsidiary "WuXi Biologics." In a letter dated February 12, which was seen by Reuters, they told Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo that the ties of this global pharmaceutical giant to the Communist Party and the Chinese military pose a threat to U.S. national security. The letter, signed by Republican Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the committee, as well as Democratic Senator Gary Peters and Republican Senator Bill Hagerty, is the latest effort by Congress to emphasize the dangers posed by Chinese biotechnology leaders. Congress has introduced legislation that restricts medical service providers using federal funds from allowing "WuXi AppTec" and other Chinese biotechnology companies access to genetic information about Americans. The Chinese company did not respond to Reuters' request for comment but has repeatedly stated that it poses no national security risk to any country. The Chinese biotechnology firm previously stated in a release still on its homepage, "We are concerned about the U.S.'s misguided legal action to sanction our company, which is taken without a transparent and fair examination of the facts." The four lawmakers referenced Chinese government documents, Chinese academic websites, and media articles to demonstrate the military connections of this company with the Chinese military and Communist Party, as well as the company's support for Beijing's policies in Xinjiang, a region where Washington accuses China of committing genocide against Muslim minorities.