China tried to steal vaccine research from US university: researchers

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The congressman said the Chinese were actively trying to steal the COVID-19 vaccine. (Representative)

Washington:

Amid worsening ties between the United States and China, the University of Texas, whose work has helped create promising candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine, has been contacted by the FBI about allegations that the Chinese consulate in Houston had sought such searches, the South China Morning Post reported.

The United States recently ordered China to shut down its Consulate General in Houston over allegations of espionage. China retaliated by ordering the United States to close its consulate general in Chengdu.

The University of Texas, according to the report, told professors and research staff in an email Monday that it was made aware of the FBI investigation last week.

FBI agents would contact university researchers about the alleged role of the consulate and “efforts by the Chinese government to illegally obtain research from U.S. universities, including research on coronavirus vaccines,” according to the email, as quoted by South China Morning Post.

“We want to make you aware of an ongoing and evolving national situation that may affect some members of our research community,” the email read.

The US State Department last week ordered China to shut down its consulate in Houston, Texas on charges that it had engaged for years in massive operations of illegal espionage and influence in the United States. United States.

In recent times, the two countries have argued over a range of issues – China’s decision to impose a national security law on Hong Kong, its violation of human rights in Xinjiang, and territorial aggression in Hong Kong. South China Sea – all have drawn strong criticism. from Washington.

Recently, Texas Congressman Michael McCaul alleged that the Chinese Consulate General, which the United States ordered to shut down, is the epicenter of Beijing’s espionage in terms of biomedical research theft.

“I can tell you that this is really the epicenter of China’s espionage in terms of the theft of our biomedical research. We had three scientists from MD Anderson who were fired due to allegations of espionage,” McCaul told Fox News.

The congressman said the Chinese were actively trying to steal the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We also have vaccine research going on at Texas Medical Center. We know that they are actively trying to steal this vaccine so they can claim to the world that they saved them from the very virus they are responsible for,” McCaul said.

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