China Clamps Down on Foreign Use of Chinese Genetic Material and Data

New rules, which require international scientists to have a Chinese collaborator, go into effect July 1.

Written byEmma Yasinski

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China has announced new regulations for the use of human genetic resources that come from Chinese participants. The rules, announced on June 10, require international scientists using biomaterials from China to have a Chinese collaborator and go into effect on July 1.

Alice Huang, a biologist at Caltech who follows Chinese developments as vice president of the 80-20 Educational Foundation, an organization promoting equal opportunities for Asian Pacific Americans, tells The Scientist that she is not surprised at the announcement. “We’re finding that a lot of individuals as well as governments are realizing that these types of information can become very valuable and then they become much more protective of their data,” she adds, emphasizing the growth of companies such as 23andMe that collect human genetic data.

The state council order contains 46 articles restricting the use and storage of any materials from China that ...

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Meet the Author

Emma Yasinski
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Emma is a Florida-based freelance journalist and regular contributor for The Scientist. A graduate of Boston University’s Science and Medical Journalism Master’s Degree program, Emma has been covering microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, health, and anything else that makes her wonder since 2016. She studied neuroscience in college, but even before causing a few mishaps and explosions in the chemistry lab, she knew she preferred a career in scientific reporting to one in scientific research.
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