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BETHESDA, Md. — Chinese companies collect genetic data from around the world as part of development efforts by the Chinese government and companies. world’s largest bio-database, American intelligence officials reported on Friday.
National Counterintelligence and Security Center said in a recent article He said the United States needs to better secure critical technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and other technologies called bioeconomics.
Michael Orlando, acting director of the counterintelligence center, a branch of the National Intelligence Agency, said China and other countries are trying to master these technologies and are using both legal and illegal means to acquire American knowledge.
The American private sector has long been the focus of attention of China and other countries trying to steal American technology and intellectual property. Other countries, such as Russia, remain a threat, but China’s economic strength makes it the biggest threat, officials said.
China believes that mastering these areas will give it an economic advantage, and American companies are also investing heavily. Artificial intelligence and machine learning hold the promise of revolutionizing many aspects of life, including military operations. Quantum computing will allow countries to crack the toughest encryption in existence today, and semiconductors are vital to many consumer products, not just computers.
But officials are now also emphasizing the intersection of technology and genetic and biological research as a field of competition and espionage. Edward You, the national counterintelligence officer for emerging and disruptive technologies, said the Chinese government is collecting medical, health and genetic data around the world. He said the country that builds the best information database will have an advantage in developing treatments for future pandemics, and China already has an advantage.
The counterintelligence center said Beijing has a track record of misusing genetic data. 2019 New York Times report About how China uses genetic testing to track members of the Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim minority group.
Citing a Reuters report, Mr. You said that a Chinese company, BGI, has developed with the Chinese military a newborn genetic test that allows it to collect information from millions of people around the world. The firm gained a foothold in the United States by acquiring an American genomics firm in 2013.
The counterintelligence center also noted investments by WuXi, which bought a Pfizer manufacturing facility in China, declared a manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, and invested in consumer genetics company 23andMe in 2015.
“They are developing the world’s largest biodatabase,” Mr. You said of the Chinese government’s efforts. “Once they have access to your genetic data, it’s not something you can change like a pin code.”
But 23andMe said fears of stealing China’s data were unfounded.
Jacquie Cooke Haggarty, the company’s deputy general counsel, said in a statement that WuXi has less than 1 percent investment in 23andMe and does not receive any customer data. He said no data was shared with a Chinese company and no investor had access to the data.
“All of our testing has always been done and performed in US-based labs,” he said.
The company also said it keeps name and contact information separate from its genetic data. He said the company follows the highest encryption standards and tests its defenses daily.
Mr. Orlando said he does not advocate separating the Chinese and American economies, but the center is trying to warn companies of the risks of working with Chinese firms under the tight control of the government in Beijing.
“We don’t tell people to leave, but be smart if you’re going to do business in China,” said Mr. Orlando.
While China is seeking a broad spectrum of commercial data, the biggest threat is to the high-tech industries that Beijing says it wants to dominate in the coming decades.
American and European officials have long said that China steals intellectual property, produces cheaper versions of products, puts western competitors out of business and then dominates the market. This is a pattern that China has followed in solar panels, for example.
“These technologies are critical and we can’t let what’s happening to other industries happen here,” said Mr. Orlando.
In recent years, the FBI and its counterintelligence center have issued widespread warnings to businesses and universities about Chinese attempts to steal American technology. Some of these proposals have been met with skepticism, especially at universities that believe the US government is trying to limit the number of Chinese students studying at American universities.
While the US government may review the acquisition of American companies by Chinese companies, other Chinese investments are more difficult to regulate. Mr. Orlando said an American company that has partnered with a Chinese company must take steps to protect its data.
“It’s all about the data,” said Mr. You. “There are national security implications that we need to understand.”
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