A new report from a US congressional commission has issued an urgent alert about China’s accelerating rise in the biotechnology field, calling the speed and scale of its progress “sobering, even frightening”. The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), which spent two years studying global biotech developments, said China is rapidly moving toward dominance in areas that could reshape medicine, national security and global industry. The report urges US lawmakers to take decisive steps within the next three years to safeguard American competitiveness.

Chinese biotech firms under the spotlight

The report highlights several Chinese companies that represent the country’s growing influence in biotechnology. WuXi AppTec, a major contract research and manufacturing giant, and BioMap, an AI driven life sciences company, were among those named. These firms illustrate the breadth of China’s advances, ranging from pharmaceutical development to computational biology.

The NSCEB notes that China’s biotech ecosystem has benefited from massive state investment, deep integration of artificial intelligence and a fast growing talent base. Together, these strengths are enabling China to expand across the global biotech market at a pace the commission believes could challenge long established US leadership.

A fast climb in core biotech capabilities

According to the commission, China has achieved notable success in several foundational areas of biotechnology. These include AI enhanced drug discovery, which uses machine learning to accelerate the identification of new treatments, and biomanufacturing, a term China uses to describe advanced methods for producing biological materials, from vaccines to synthetic proteins.

These capabilities are considered essential to the next generation of medical innovation. China’s progress in these fields demonstrates its ability not only to compete but to lead in areas that underpin future healthcare systems, industrial applications and national security technologies.

A call for urgent policy action in Washington

The NSCEB’s report makes clear that the US must move quickly if it hopes to maintain its role as a global biotechnology leader. The commission argues that delays in funding, regulatory modernization and industrial coordination have slowed America’s response to China’s emerging strengths.

The report calls for targeted investment in domestic biotech firms, stronger partnerships between government agencies and the private sector, and updated regulations that encourage innovation while protecting national interests. It also recommends developing clearer oversight of international biotech collaborations and expanding protections for sensitive research.

Broader implications for US China competition

The NSCEB emphasizes that China’s biotechnology rise is occurring alongside intensifying competition in other high tech sectors, from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to aerospace and quantum computing. Biotechnology, however, carries distinct strategic importance because of its dual use potential across health, defense and industrial supply chains.

The report warns that if the US fails to act, it risks ceding leadership in an industry that will play a central role in economic prosperity and national resilience over the coming decades. It stresses that maintaining a strong domestic biotech sector is essential not only for innovation but for ensuring secure access to critical medical and industrial technologies.

A pivotal moment for global biotech leadership

While the report paints a stark picture, it also highlights the United States’ continued strengths, including its world class research institutions, leading pharmaceutical companies and vibrant start up ecosystem. The challenge, according to the commission, is to mobilize these assets with greater coordination and urgency.

China’s rapid progress demonstrates that biotechnology is becoming a core arena of global competition. The next few years will be critical in determining whether the US and China move toward balanced rivalry, deeper cooperation or more intensified competition. As policymakers consider the report’s recommendations, one message stands out: the global biotech landscape is shifting quickly, and the window for action is narrowing.