UK must act against Chinese bioscience threat, Sir Iain Duncan Smith says

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Last year, the Government admitted BGI was a 'danger point' in the UK’s science and technology ecosystem, yet it continues to allow BGI access to our genomics sector Sir Iain Duncan Smith Genomics, the study of DNA as a whole set of data, is a burgeoning area of medical technology, and is being used to predict, diagnose and treat diseases in new ways. “Like other advanced technologies, genomics, when used legitimately, can help create new drugs to fight diseases like cancer,” he wrote, adding: “However, its dual-use potential means it can also be used to create targeted bioweapons or pathogens.” Sir Iain pointed to reports the Chinese state may have used genomic technology to collect data on the country’s ethnic minority groups, such as the Uighur Muslims. MPs including Sir Iain have previously warned that Chinese genomics giant BGI Group could be a danger to the UK’s interests, and the company has been blacklisted in the US due to security concerns. Last year, the Government admitted BGI was a ‘danger point’ in the UK’s science and technology ecosystem, yet it continues to allow BGI access to our genomics sector.” He claimed this echoes the “weakness it showed over Huawei and Hikvision, risks repeating previous mistakes if we fail to appreciate the severity of the challenge”.