NEW DELHI: In a little over three months from now, the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention will hold its ninth review meeting against the background of the pandemic and amid widespread suspicions that it was engineered by Chinese scientists in Wuhan. Despite that, China in tandem with ‘Iron Brother’ Pakistan is pushing forward a proposal for a Model Code of Conduct for Biological Scientists. The code has been in the making for some time and Beijing has even proposed the creation of a “Core Group of Experts” to develop it.
Some of these efforts date back to 2010, when the Chinese Academy of Sciences hosted an international workshop on Trends in Science & Technology Relevant to the Biological Weapons Convention. It identified three main trends in life sciences and related fields that could lead to the production of new or more deadly biological weapons or lower the barriers for bioterrorism. These were the pace of science and tech development; diffusion of research and capacity; and convergence between disparate areas of science.
It’s a little curious why China with a poor record and reputation for biosafety and security would come up with such a proposal. The addition of Pakistan is even more curious given that if China’s biosafety record is poor, Islamabad’s is many times worse. But they have been working on this since 2016, when at the preparatory committee of the seventh review conference of the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention, they put out a template for the code.
It was nobly worded: “With the aim to prevent abuse and misuse of biosciences and technology, fulfil the aims and objectives of the convention and strengthen biosecurity governance, China has proposed development of a template … of a code of conduct”.
It listed the following as comprising key elements of the code: ethical standards, research integrity, respect for the object of research, process management for science research, constraint on the spread of research outcome, popularisation of S&T, institution’s role, education and training, awareness and engagement and international exchanges.
These were discussed at the 8th review conference in 2018 and some ideas emerged.
- · An international code of conduct must be preceded by a national code formulated by each member of the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention
- · Bio-risk assessment and management must be defined by broad guidelines by the convention
- · Since biological scientists are at the forefront of such research, the code must be developed with their participation and should include scientists in private laboratories
While these and other proposals are likely to be further discussed in November, China’s move has renewed focus on its domestic activities in this area. Earlier this year, China’s rubber stamp parliament approved the new Biosecurity Law which would have come into force in April. The law empowers the state to collect people’s biometric data, which is expected to further narrow the ambit of civil liberties in China. This is only providing legal cover to what the Ministry of Public Security has been engaged in since 2003: building a database linked to DNA collection programmes in Xinjiang and Tibet. It is justified on public security grounds. Little wonder China is known to have a DNA database of 100 million including foreigners, probably the largest in the world.
China is also known to be collecting data from countries where it is providing Covid assistance. Pakistan is known to be doing the same in Balochistan and in other provinces with China’s help. There have been multiple reports since 2020 of a China-Pak agreement (valid for three years) to expand biowarfare capabilities, including several research projects relating to the deadly anthrax agent. The reports followed investigations by the Australian site ‘The Klaxon’, which said China has signed an agreement with Pakistan’s Defence Science & Technology Organisation to collaborate on research in “emerging infectious diseases” and advance studies on the biological control of transmitted diseases.
According to The Klaxon, China is testing biological agents outside its borders to minimise the risk of being caught out by the international community. It said they have been able to isolate the Bacillus Thuringiensis, which is similar to anthrax. In effect, it could strengthen Pakistan’s own offensive biological weapons programme.
The Klaxon says China is training Pakistani scientists in the manipulation of pathogens. All this is being done with no involvement from civilian universities or government health departments. The Klaxon says Pakistan is already carrying out tests on the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever which is similar to Ebola. This is being done in laboratories not equipped to handle Biosafety Level-4 diseases, the report said.
One waits to see if the concerns about China and Pakistan’s intentions are raised at the convention in November.
[/vc_column][/vc_row][/tdc_zone]
