Select Committee Leaders Request Update from Intelligence Community on GenScript and Affiliated Entities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sent a letter today to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Director Kash Patel requesting an update on intelligence and law enforcement information regarding GenScript Biotechnology Co., Ltd and its ties to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

In their letter, Krishnamoorthi and Moolenaar referenced a prior request made on May 30, 2024, to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That initial inquiry sought information on GenScript and its affiliated business units, including Bestzyme, Legend Biotech, and ProBio. The lawmakers noted their appreciation for the engagement of ODNI, the FBI, and other parties with the Select Committee on these issues last year.

They reiterated their concerns about GenScript’s role as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), writing:

“GenScript’s role as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), including services such as the production of custom gene synthesis for companies and U.S. Government entities, raises concerns about potential risks to the intellectual property of U.S. firms and GenScript's broader role in advancing the PRC’s biotech capabilities.”

The lawmakers also emphasized their interest in understanding how “efforts through GenScript appear to directly support the CCP’s strategic goal of achieving self-reliance in critical technologies and leveraging these advancements to boost the PRC’s global competitiveness and influence.”

Since their initial inquiry, GenScript has made “significant new investments, including in announced Australian facilities.” Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi concluded their letter by calling for a renewed conversation with ODNI and the FBI, stating that “maintaining U.S. leadership in biotechnology and safeguarding against PRC state and CCP involvement in relevant entities’ U.S. operations is an issue of utmost importance.”

The Committee has requested a briefing with relevant intelligence and law enforcement personnel.

Read the letter HERE.