[Daily Caller] The recently-arrested owner of a California biolab allegedly has ties to the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and a program related to its military, the House Select Committee on the CCP announced Wednesday.Jia Bei Zhu, 62, allegedly served as a "corporate officer" within Chinese "military-civil fusion organizations," according to materials shared by the Select Committee on the CCP. Zhu was arrested in October for "manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and for making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)." (RELATED: Biden To Lift Sanctions On Chinese Human Rights Abuser In Exchange For Xi’s Latest Promise To Combat Fentanyl: REPORT)
"Zhu is a PRC citizen who served as a corporate officer on military-civil fusion organizations within the PRC and private organizations affiliated with or partially controlled by the PRC government," the committee’s film stated.
Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) is a CCP "strategy to develop the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a ’world class military’ by 2049," according to the State Department. "The CCP’s MCF strategy allows a growing number of civilian enterprises and entities to undertake classified military R&D and weapons production."
Zhu also served as an executive at several "PRC government-controlled and directed companies," according to the committee’s report.
Between April and June 2023, officials in Fresno, California, discovered at least 20 potentially infectious agents, such as HIV and Malaria, as well as mice genetically engineered to carry COVID-19, at an "unlicensed" laboratory in Reedley, California, operated by Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI), the successor of defunct Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), Fresno County court records state.
Zhu allegedly admitted that he operated his many companies in order to "further PRC policy and to meet the city demands of a PRC premier," according to the committee.
While living in the U.S., Zhu "operated under the false alias David He ," according to the committee’s findings, and received "large unexplained money transfers from PRC bank accounts" amounting to over $2 million.