Americano Matt Ridley on Chinese biolabs in America, Covid & the reality of biowarfare
Feb 26, 2026
Matt Ridley, writer and trained biologist known for commentary on science and policy, tackles biosafety, shady overseas labs and the lingering mysteries around COVID origins. He discusses illicit US biolabs, low-tech biothreat risks, gain-of-function research and political reluctance to investigate. The conversation urges better oversight, tracking and international accountability.
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Illegal Biolabs Found After Local Accidents
- A clandestine biolab network was uncovered via local inspections and accidents in California and Las Vegas.
- Reedley lab had 1,000 mice, fridges labeled Ebola, HIV, TB and unlicensed COVID testing run by Jiia [Jia] Zhu and Chinese nationals.
Individual Operators Could Mask State-Supported Biothreats
- The discovered labs could be simple criminal ventures or part of hybrid biowarfare efforts with state connivance.
- Jiia [Jia] Zhu has fraud convictions and public statements about harming America, raising plausible national-security concerns.
CDC Reluctance To Test Suspicious Samples
- US CDC initially refused to investigate hazardous samples, instead opting to dispose without testing.
- Local officials had to press and involve a congressman before CDC responded and still declined to test the Ebola-labelled fridge.