The military and academic literature in China has emphasized the importance of achieving “biological dominance” on future battlefields. In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) urged the Biden administration to include seven Chinese biotech firms in the Pentagon’s list of “Chinese military companies.”
The seven companies identified are MGI Group, Complete Genomics, Innomics, STOmics, Origincell, Yazyme Biotech, and Axbio. These firms are believed to be contributing to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) under China’s military-civil fusion (MCF) strategy.
The State Department has warned that China is utilizing both legal and illegal methods, including theft, to acquire cutting-edge technologies like semiconductors and artificial intelligence to achieve military superiority. Private companies, research institutes, and academia are being exploited by the CCP without their consent to advance its military agenda.
MGI Group and Complete Genomics are linked to the PLA-affiliated firm BGI, while Innomics and STOmics are BGI subsidiaries operating in the United States. The Pentagon began adding Chinese companies to its list in June 2020 and recently added BGI along with other Chinese firms to the list.
Origincell, another company on the list, has ties to the CCP’s United Front Work Department (UFWD). The UFWD, which reports directly to the CCP leadership, coordinates various groups to carry out foreign influence operations, gather intelligence, and transfer technology to China.
Rep. Gallagher has highlighted the threat posed by the CCP’s United Front work in a video, emphasizing the need for Americans to understand the extent of these operations. The lawmakers have requested a briefing with the Pentagon to discuss adding more problematic Chinese biotech companies to the list in accordance with the National Defense Act.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the matter, stating that responses are provided directly to members of Congress. Further details on the issue are not available at this time. Rewrite the sentence in a different way.
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