In a new opinion essay, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and former Representative Patrick McHenry argue that Washington's current approach to the biotech race with China is misdirected. They acknowledge China's rapid progress—citing Beijing's five-year plan to make biomedicine a pillar industry, its goal of producing 25% of global first-in-class drugs by 2030, and the fact that Chinese-designed medicines now account for nearly 30% of drugs in global development. But they contend that the most common U.S. policy responses, such as blanket tariffs on drug ingredients or sweeping limits on partnerships with Chinese firms, would weaken America more than they would slow China.
The authors point to historical examples: export controls on semiconductors and other technologies pushed Chinese companies to increase R&D and develop their own capabilities. They warn that broad biotech restrictions could similarly spur China to build independent capacity, while simultaneously disrupting U.S. supply chains and cutting American companies off from promising experimental treatments. Instead, they propose four steps: expand domestic and allied manufacturing for critical medicines and ingredients, coordinate research and clinical development with partners like Japan, South Korea, Europe, and India, make it easier for companies to invest in next-generation manufacturing technologies, and protect the federal research funding, workforce training, and immigration policies that built America's biotech leadership.
The essay is an opinion piece, not a news report, and its authors are senior advisers to the American Biosecurity Initiative. They do not dispute that China poses a competitive threat, but they argue that the surest way to preserve U.S. leadership is to invest at home rather than rely on restrictions alone. The piece offers no new data beyond what is cited, and its recommendations are policy proposals rather than confirmed plans.