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Alarm raised over China’s threat to older Americans through drug supply chains
🇨🇳 China /Economy & Trade

Alarm raised over China’s threat to older Americans through drug supply chains

From South China Morning Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A U.S. congressional hearing warned that China poses a national security threat to American seniors through drug supply chains, financial scams, and data privacy issues.
  • Lawmakers highlighted China's significant control over global pharmaceutical ingredients, supplying 87% of U.S. antibiotic APIs.
  • Witnesses emphasized China's strategic goal of controlling global supply chains and its dominance in API production.

China's influence over American seniors through drug supply chains, financial scams, and data privacy constitutes a national security threat, a U.S. congressional hearing was told Wednesday. Lawmakers and witnesses framed the issue as a critical concern for the nation's aging population.

Senator Rick Scott of Florida drew a stark contrast between current U.S. policy toward China and the Cold War era, noting the extensive access China has to the U.S. economy, information, and supply chains. He urged a serious re-evaluation of this dependence, stating, "Fifty years ago, we never would have given the Soviets the kind of leeway we give China."

Fifty years ago, we never would have given the Soviets the kind of leeway we give China: the access they have to our economy and our information, the dependence they enjoy from our supply chains.

— Rick ScottComparing current U.S. policy toward China with the Cold War era.

The hearing, titled “Counting the Cost: Communist China’s Toll on Older Americans’ Health, Finances and Security,” focused on China's dominance in pharmaceutical ingredients and global drug supply chains. Scott pointed out that China supplies a staggering 87% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for U.S. antibiotics, according to a report by the Coalition for a Prosperous America.

China supplies 87 per cent of active pharmaceutical ingredients for US antibiotics.

— Rick ScottHighlighting China's dominance in the U.S. antibiotic supply chain.

Chris Slevin of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) underscored the strategic nature of China's actions, stating, “China’s weaponisation of supply chains is not theoretical. China has made controlling global supply chains an explicit strategic goal.” The USCC, along with the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), are bipartisan panels established to increase scrutiny on China, particularly in light of its World Trade Organization accession.

Concerns have intensified in recent years regarding China's potential to dominate the global pharmaceutical industry, largely due to America's heavy reliance on Chinese producers for APIs. China's control extends to 80 to 90 percent of global API production, highlighting a vulnerability that lawmakers are increasingly seeking to address.

China’s weaponisation of supply chains is not theoretical. China has made controlling global supply chains an explicit strategic goal.

— Chris SlevinDescribing China's strategic objective regarding global supply chains.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by South China Morning Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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