Committee chair Brad Wenstrup expressed concerns about the potential national security risks associated with the use of Chinese machinery at a top United States research facility.
House Republicans have raised inquiries with the Department of Energy (DOE) regarding the alleged use of equipment connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its military at a prominent research facility.
Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), outlined in an Oct. 17 letter to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm that there is evidence suggesting the utilization of equipment from a Chinese company known as Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Wenstrup disclosed that the committee is investigating the extent of Los Alamos’ reliance on technology developed by BGI, a Chinese firm reportedly linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). He has requested all relevant documents and communications pertaining to the Department’s use of equipment or software associated with ‘Beijing Genomics Institute.’
Additionally, he has called for a briefing on the presence of a BGI machine at Los Alamos by no later than Oct. 31, 2024.
In his letter to Granholm, Wenstrup highlighted the potential risks to U.S. national security and biosecurity posed by operating machinery manufactured by BGI at a sensitive facility. The subcommittee is particularly concerned about the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to infiltrate American institutions and influence their operations.
“If there is indeed a BGI machine at Los Alamos, the U.S. Government’s premier scientific institution—involved in researching and safeguarding against biosecurity threats such as COVID-19—may jeopardize American national security by utilizing equipment linked to the [Chinese Communist Party] and PLA,” Wenstrup emphasized.
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Wenstrup introduced the BIOSECURE Act earlier this year, which has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and is awaiting Senate approval.
“This Act aims to safeguard American patient data and taxpayer funds from falling into the hands of foreign biotechnology companies by prohibiting Federal contracts with such entities, including BGI,” Wenstrup stated in a release.
A report from 2022 by Strider Technologies alleges that the CCP systematically recruited scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for its military initiatives. Over the past 35 years, at least 162 researchers from Los Alamos have reportedly been hired by the CCP.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Department of Energy for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report.
