Legal experts urge people to take new Chinese biosecurity law seriously

Name: Chinese scientist He Jiankui involved in gene-edited babies jailed for three years
Uploaded: 2021-04-15T16:01:17.000Z
Duration: 57 s
Description: Chinese scientist He Jiankui involved in gene-edited babies jailed for three years

It covers activities including the handling of pandemics, biotech research, human genetic materials and the management of labs

Industries affected range from health care to food and agriculture, and those in breach could be jailed or face financial penalties

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The new law covers a wide range of areas under the broad definition of “biosecurity”. Photo: Shutterstock

Linda Lew

Published: 12:01am, 16 Apr 2021Updated: 10:56am, 16 Apr 2021

Legal experts have urged anyone who handles biological materials in China to take the country’s first biosecurity law seriously after it took effect on Thursday, with certain activities now deemed criminal acts.

The law applies to a long list of activities, including the handling of pandemics, biotechnology research and human genetic materials, and the management of laboratories. Those who break the law could be jailed and face 10 million yuan (US$1.53 million) in penalties.

Industries ranging from health care and biotechnology to food and agriculture could be affected by the law, the passage of which was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ethical dilemmas over genetic engineering also likely prompted the drafting of the law.

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Chinese scientist He Jiankui involved in gene-edited babies jailed for three years

In 2018, Chinese scientist He Jiankui shocked the world when he claimed he had genetically engineered a pair of female babies to be resistant to HIV. He was sentenced to three years in jail and fined 3 million yuan in 2019.