China Developing ‘Gene-Edited Super Soldiers’ in Biological Warfare Revolution
Article by Anna Savva October 9, 2019 (dailystar.co.uk)
• International security experts Elsa Kania and Wilson VornDick say that China is developing biological weaponry, including bionic robotics, intelligentised exoskeletons and gene-edited soldiers as part of its long-term military strategy. In their ‘China Brief Volume’, Kania and VornDick write: “While the potential leveraging of CRISPR (gene editing) to increase human capabilities on the future battlefield remains only a hypothetical possibility at the present, there are indications that Chinese military researchers are starting to explore its potential.”
• Kania and VornDick say that China is harnessing many aspects of biotechnology as part of a multi-disciplinary project, “combining industry, academic institutions, and military programmes.” The concept of a national effort to command dominance and superiority in biology in China is known as ‘zhishengquan’. This vision is “starting to become more prevalent in writings on future warfare of varying degrees of authoritativeness.” A key focus is the development of ‘brain-machine interfaces’ which may one day allow human’s to control weapons through the power of thought.
• There is speculation that gene editing is being used in China as part of a state sponsored exercise to enhance cognitive abilities of animals. China is also gene-editing animals to grow human-like organs, possibly creating an organ harvesting industry. Kania and VornDick claim that Chinese police have already used gene therapies to create “highly muscular dogs for use in policing” which “illustrates the potential for gene-edited animals to contribute to state coercion.” A dead cat was also cloned for a distraught pet owner willing to pay a huge sum. Monkey-human clones are also reportedly being researched in China.
China is prioritising cutting-edge research into biological warfare as part of its long-term military strategy, international security experts say.
It’s believed the eastern superpower’s focus is on developing biological weaponry, including bionic robotics, intelligentised exoskeletons and gene-edited soldiers.
Writing in China Brief Volume, Elsa Kania and Wilson VornDick, say China has now made it a national project, with the military drawing on and funding commercial research.
They also believe research into gene editing, to advance soldiers’ performance is being taken very seriously.
They write: “While the potential leveraging of CRISPR (gene editing) to increase human capabilities on the future battlefield remains only a hypothetical possibility at the present, there are indications that Chinese military researchers are starting to explore its potential.”
There is speculation too that gene editing is being used in China as part of a state sponsored exercise to enhance cognitive abilities of animals.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. ExoNews.org distributes this material for the purpose of news reporting, educational research, comment and criticism, constituting Fair Use under 17 U.S.C § 107. Please contact the Editor at ExoNews with any copyright issue.