According to The Washington Post, possible additional sanctions and export controls on the radar of U.S. Department of Commerce Under Secretary of Industry and Security Alan Estevez include quantum computing, biotechnology and artificial intelligence.
However, this possibility of sanctions has already been met with apprehension by experts. Because industries with high technology such as biotechnology are actually witnessing global partnerships. Countries have to work with each other in areas such as climate policy and health. Therefore, it is underlined that scientific progress in China can save lives in the USA. It is reported that possible restrictions could seriously damage progress in these areas.
USA can shoot itself in the foot
There are several examples in this context. For example, NovaXS, a manufacturer of needle-free injection devices, is headquartered in the USA, but conducts clinical trials in China. Similarly, Xtalpi, China’s most funded pharmaceutical company, uses the USA as the center of its R&D activities.
Additionally, the biotech industry is an incredibly costly and essentially inefficient process. Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO of the leading biotech company Insilico, said that research is a complex, uncertain and very risky process, that you need 10-15 years, 2-3 billion dollars to bring a drug to market, and the process fails 95-99 percent of the time. it states. Therefore, it is stated that international cooperation in biotechnology is an important way to share this great risk and cost.
In summary, the latest rules in the US, which went into effect on Oct. 7, restrict sales to China of advanced computer chips and the equipment needed to manufacture them. The increase in these restrictions in the near future may cause situations similar to the chip crisis to occur again.