The House Select Committee on China issued its first subpoena last week.
The subpoena commanded the city of Reedley, Calif., to provide documents and records concerning a Chinese-owned lab in the city, Prestige Biotech and Universal Meditech Inc. This subpoena was initially reported by Politico and confirmed by The Hill.
The city has cooperated with the committee and submitted extensive evidence, including thousands of pages of documents, hours of video footage, and hundreds of photographs, as revealed by a source close to the committee speaking to Politico.
The review of the evidence has revealed alarming gaps in safeguards that allowed the secretive facility to operate without consequences, along with significant shortcomings in the federal government’s response, the source added.
The committee was created in January through a bipartisan resolution. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) serves as the committee’s chairman, while Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) is the ranking member.
Tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated in recent years, encompassing economic and military realms.
During a trip to Vietnam last week, President Biden downplayed China’s role when questioned by reporters, stating, “I don’t want to contain China. I just want to ensure that we have an open and transparent relationship with China.”
Top Biden administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, have visited China in recent times to foster collaboration between Beijing and Washington in key areas such as climate change and artificial intelligence.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation in addressing the China challenge during the House floor debate on the establishment of the select committee.
“Both sides agree that the threat posed by Communist China is grave. I wholeheartedly concur,” he stated. “This is an issue that transcends political affiliations, and the creation of the select committee on China is our best avenue for addressing it.”
The Hill has reached out to the City of Reedley for comment.
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