National security challenge: China poised to overtake the U.S. as the global leader in biotechnology innovation

The comprehensive report from the bipartisan National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) delivers a “sobering, even frightening,” conclusion: that China is quickly ascending to biotechnology dominance, having made biotechnology a strategic priority for 20 years. To remain competitive, the report asserts, the United States must take swift action in the next three years. “Otherwise, we risk falling behind, a setback from which we may never recover.”

Biotechnology, particularly when powered by AI, can revolutionize critical sectors, from defense and energy to agriculture and manufacturing. … [I]f the United States fails to act, the commission warns, biotechnology could also expose vulnerabilities in infrastructure, disrupt supply chains, and contribute to food crises.

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The report describes how China’s approach to biotechnology mirrors its broader strategy for technology and defense leadership—first, it acquires intellectual property from abroad, legally or illegally. Then, state-backed entities scale up these innovations and pump capital into domestic biotech firms to corner and eventually overwhelm global supply chains with low-cost products.

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here