In a shocking development, the House Select Committee on the CCP has disclosed that the recently-arrested owner of a California biolab, Jia Bei Zhu, allegedly has ties to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government and its military. The arrest, made in October, stems from charges related to manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices, as well as providing false information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Zhu, a 62-year-old PRC citizen, is reported to have served as a “corporate officer” within Chinese “military-civil fusion organizations.” The Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) strategy is a key aspect of the CCP’s plan to develop the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a ‘world-class military’ by 2049. This strategy involves allowing civilian enterprises to engage in classified military research and weapons production.
The committee’s findings reveal that Zhu was also an executive in several PRC government-controlled and directed companies. The biolab operated by Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI), formerly Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), came under scrutiny when Fresno officials discovered potentially infectious agents and genetically engineered mice at an unlicensed laboratory in Reedley, California.
Zhu reportedly admitted to operating his companies to further PRC policy, claiming it was to meet the demands of a PRC premier. Under the alias “David He” while in the U.S., Zhu received large unexplained money transfers from PRC bank accounts, amounting to over $2 million.
Before residing in the U.S., Zhu allegedly operated companies in Canada engaged in massive theft of American cattle-related intellectual property. Fleeing to the U.S. illegally after a $330 million judgment related to intellectual property theft in Canada, Zhu continued his operations under a false identity.
Private messages on WeChat, a Chinese application, reveal Zhu’s unsettling sentiments. He allegedly expressed intentions for his “fraudulent companies” to “defeat the American aggressor and wild ambitious wolf,” citing the strength of outlaws over the law.
The illegal biolab’s discovery in April 2023 raised further concerns. Thousands of vials, some unlabeled and others in Mandarin Chinese, were found, with certain labels written in an undeciphered code. Despite these alarming discoveries, the FBI purportedly declined to investigate, and the CDC allegedly refused to cooperate initially, later determining “no evidence of select agents or toxins.”
The report highlights California Rep. Jim Costa’s intervention to persuade the CDC to visit the Reedley facility. However, the CDC allegedly failed to find evidence such as a “freezer labeled ebola,” and state and local authorities reportedly destroyed evidence subject to a court order.
This disturbing revelation reinforces the urgency of scrutinizing the intersections of biolabs, foreign entities, and potential threats to national security. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance and cooperation in safeguarding against risks emerging from the convergence of science, geopolitics, and security concerns.
