China’s biotech boom alarms Western lawmakers, investors

China’s ascendance in biotech is raising alarm bells among some lawmakers and investors in the West. Eli Lilly entered into its latest agreement with a Chinese drugmaker Monday, while Pfizer last week announced a tie-up with a Chinese firm to develop drugs. The licensing deals have prompted concerns that the US could grow over-reliant on Chinese biotechs, allowing the industry to potentially be weaponized in a future spat between the superpowers, the Financial Times wrote. “Biotech is just the latest battleground,” one investor said. China’s advantage in pharma is similar to that of its dominant EV sector, ChinaTalk wrote: “process expertise, cost efficiency, labor and talent, and deep integration into global supply chains.”