Lawmakers urge Biden to call out more Chinese biotech firms

A Republican and a Democratic member of Congress are calling on the Biden administration to add seven Chinese biotech firms to a list created by the Defense Department to highlight firms it says are allegedly working with Beijing’s military.
In a letter dated March 29 seen by Reuters, Republican Michael Gallagher and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to take the action since Beijing could harness the power of biotechnology to strengthen its military.
“Urgent action is needed,” said the lawmakers, who serve as the chairman and ranking member of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, citing risks that China could “create synthetic pathogens” to gain military advantage.
“The Department of Defense provides responses directly to members of Congress in matters of this kind,” a department spokesman said in a statement. “We have no additional information or further details to release at this time.”
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said “some people” in the United States should stop suppressing Chinese companies under false pretexts.