An illegal Chinese biolab in California run by a former Canadian resident has left American lawmakers asking if similar labs are hiding elsewhere in the United States.The U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party reported on Wednesday about an illegal biolab discovered in an old Reedley, California warehouse.The biolab contained thousands of vials and at least 20 potentially infectious agents — including COVID-19, HIV, tuberculosis, E. coli and malaria. Hundreds of lab mice genetically engineered to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus were also found. Last month, 62-year-old Jia Bei Zhu was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices and making false statements to federal agencies in connection with the lab.“A subsequent investigation revealed that the laboratory was operated by a wanted fugitive from Canada, who is a PRC [People’s Republic of China] citizen,” the committee report said.“The said fugitive had previously stolen millions of dollars of intellectual property from American companies and was part of an ongoing transnational criminal enterprise with ties to the PRC for which he was ultimately charged in federal court.”California representatives Jim Costa and Kevin McCarthy serve on the committee, which criticized federal agencies for is slowness to respond to concerns from local officials. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Centers for Disease Control initially declined to investigate despite repeated calls from Reedley officials.“The CDC’s refusal to test any potential pathogens with the understanding that local officials would otherwise have to destroy the samples makes it impossible for the committee to fully assess the potential risks posed to the community,” the report said.Code enforcement worker Jesalyn Harper made the initial discovery of Zhu’s alleged operation after she spotted a green water hose sticking out of what was thought to be an abandoned downtown warehouse.Harper joined Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba in speaking to the committee on Wednesday. Zieba thanked Costa for helping gather federal agencies to investigate the lab.“I’m proud of this little city for not turning a blind eye and simply kicking them out to go elsewhere,” Zieba said.Zieba called the entire investigation “complex and confounding.” She called for changes to how federal agencies regulate private medical labs and how infectious diseases can be transported and handled. She also asked for better coordination between agencies.McCarthy credited the discovery to the “luck of local authorities moving through and seeing something that didn’t seem right.”However, the former House Speaker was left with disturbing questions.“How many more labs are like this throughout America?” McCarthy said. “Is China involved in other labs inside America?”Universal MediTech, Inc. — a research and development company previously based in Fresno — was reportedly at the center of the lab’s operation.The lab’s discovery fueled speculation and theories about its origins. Local officials said they had little communication with individuals associated with the lab, but found phone numbers and addresses from a Chinese province.The committee said Zhu received $2 million in unexplained money transfers from Chinese banks, but no direct connection was made between Zhu and the Chinese government. The committee also reported anti-American comments Zhu made in the past online.The report was issued shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to California for a business summit. However, committee chair Rep. Mike Gallagher said the timing was coincidental.
An illegal Chinese biolab in California run by a former Canadian resident has left American lawmakers asking if similar labs are hiding elsewhere in the United States.The U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party reported on Wednesday about an illegal biolab discovered in an old Reedley, California warehouse.The biolab contained thousands of vials and at least 20 potentially infectious agents — including COVID-19, HIV, tuberculosis, E. coli and malaria. Hundreds of lab mice genetically engineered to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus were also found. Last month, 62-year-old Jia Bei Zhu was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices and making false statements to federal agencies in connection with the lab.“A subsequent investigation revealed that the laboratory was operated by a wanted fugitive from Canada, who is a PRC [People’s Republic of China] citizen,” the committee report said.“The said fugitive had previously stolen millions of dollars of intellectual property from American companies and was part of an ongoing transnational criminal enterprise with ties to the PRC for which he was ultimately charged in federal court.”California representatives Jim Costa and Kevin McCarthy serve on the committee, which criticized federal agencies for is slowness to respond to concerns from local officials. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Centers for Disease Control initially declined to investigate despite repeated calls from Reedley officials.“The CDC’s refusal to test any potential pathogens with the understanding that local officials would otherwise have to destroy the samples makes it impossible for the committee to fully assess the potential risks posed to the community,” the report said.Code enforcement worker Jesalyn Harper made the initial discovery of Zhu’s alleged operation after she spotted a green water hose sticking out of what was thought to be an abandoned downtown warehouse.Harper joined Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba in speaking to the committee on Wednesday. Zieba thanked Costa for helping gather federal agencies to investigate the lab.“I’m proud of this little city for not turning a blind eye and simply kicking them out to go elsewhere,” Zieba said.Zieba called the entire investigation “complex and confounding.” She called for changes to how federal agencies regulate private medical labs and how infectious diseases can be transported and handled. She also asked for better coordination between agencies.McCarthy credited the discovery to the “luck of local authorities moving through and seeing something that didn’t seem right.”However, the former House Speaker was left with disturbing questions.“How many more labs are like this throughout America?” McCarthy said. “Is China involved in other labs inside America?”Universal MediTech, Inc. — a research and development company previously based in Fresno — was reportedly at the center of the lab’s operation.The lab’s discovery fueled speculation and theories about its origins. Local officials said they had little communication with individuals associated with the lab, but found phone numbers and addresses from a Chinese province.The committee said Zhu received $2 million in unexplained money transfers from Chinese banks, but no direct connection was made between Zhu and the Chinese government. The committee also reported anti-American comments Zhu made in the past online.The report was issued shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to California for a business summit. However, committee chair Rep. Mike Gallagher said the timing was coincidental.
