China’s dominance in drug manufacturing is a national security issue, Bloomberg’s Anna Edney reports.
Details: American officials have expressed two concerns:
If China ever decided to cut off the flow of drugs and active ingredients, the U.S. (and many other countries) would likely face steep shortages.
Safety and quality lapses in Chinese manufacturing also pose a risk to the U.S., including drugs taken by military personnel.
“The national security risks of increased Chinese dominance of the global [active pharmaceutical ingredient] market cannot be overstated,” the Defense Health Agency’s Christopher Priest told an advisory panel last week, per Bloomberg.
