Deadly Pathogens as Bioweapons

"I would say this Canadian 'contribution' might likely be counter-productive."
"I think the Chinese activities ... are highly suspicious, in terms of exploring [at least] those viruses as BW [biological warefare] agents."
Dany Shoham, biological, chemical warfare expert, Bar-Ilan University, Israel

"This is not warfare, per se."
"But what it's doing is leveraging the capability to act as global saviour, which then creates various levels of macro- and micro-economic and bio-power dependencies."
James Giordano, neurology professor, Georgetown University

File photo, Associated Press

Dr. Giordano is also senior fellow in biowarfare at the U.S. Special Operations Command. He views China's great interest leading it to invest in bioscience with its more casual ethics surrounding gene-editing and allied cutting-edge technology -- and with particular attention to the close alliance resulting in integration between the government of the People's Republic and its academia lead to questions and suspicions that much of the world shares relating to the weaponization of pathogens and the existence of biological warfare programs.

China, as China always does, denies it has any interest whatever in a state agency for biological weaponry. As with all other similar statements relating to any number of issues where China is suspected of nefarious actions benefiting it and discrediting it at the same time, while it takes advantage of other nations' vulnerabilities to indulge in scientific, industrial and political espionage to a disbelieving world audience.

China, thus vehemently denies that it is involved in producing germ weapons. Scientists from Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory, as a gesture of scientific sharing, in March sent along samples of the henipavirus family and Ebola. As far as Canadian officials are concerned the shipment represents public-health research support on a global basis. Even though the lab scientists regard Nipah virus, part of the henipavirus family, to be a lethal potential bioweapon.



The shipment of the virus samples to China was revealed by a strange event at the National Microbiology Laboratory last month when it was revealed that there is an RCMP investigation underway. The lab authority dismissed a top scientist of Chinese origins at the lab located in Winnipeg, at the same time dismissing her husband who also worked at the lab as a scientist, and a number of Chinese students working at the lab.

Dr. Giordano, co-head of Georgetown University's Brain Science and Global Law and Policy Program focuses on the potential for an offensive agent or modified germ in the hands of proxies released into the public arena, and China stepping forward as the only source holding the treatment or vaccine. Public Health Agency of Canada, asked to comment on these contentious suspicions, responded that the agency "continues to look into the administrative matter".

Researchers work in the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Man., where the ZMapp antibody “cocktail” was created to fight Ebola.   Handout

Xiangguo Qiu, a highly regarded NML scientist, had been escorted out of the lab along with members of her research team while the agency investigated an "administrative issue", at the same time bringing in the RCMP to investigate a possible policy breach.  Everything is very secretive, and nothing has been divulged that might explain the highly unusual situation. China is a signatory to the Biological Weapons Convention and has been since 1984.

The U.S. State Department has publicly revealed their belief that China is in possession of offensive biological agents. But then, the fact is that many countries do, as part of their research, including for military investigations, the U.S. being no exception. The Federation of American Scientists contend that China is "commonly considered to have an active biological warfare program". China, stated an official with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defence, is the world leader in toxin "threats".

Dr. Shoham of Bar Ilan's Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, asserted in a 2015 academic paper that over 40 Chinese facilities are involved in the production of bioweapons. Dr. Shoham claims that Ebola cells form part of China's biowarfare arsenal. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify Ebola as a "category A" bioterrorism agent; that it could be transmitted readily from person to person, resulting in high death rates and "might cause panic".

According to figures released by the World Health Organization, Nipah, first seen in 1998 in Malaysia, caused a series of outbreaks across east and south Asia, resulting in death rates over 50 percent, and as high as 100 percent. Nipah has no known treatment or vaccine.

Dr. Xiangguo Qiu is seen in an undated screengrab from a CBC segment at the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg. (CBC)