Behind a Secret Chinese Biolab in California, a Global Web of Connections

Chinese companies related to the biolab have a troubling history in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, and a handful of other countries.

A collage of the biolab in Reedley, Calif., on July 31, 2023. Fresno County Public Health Department/Judicial Watch, Nathan Su/The Epoch Times, Courtesy of City of Reedley

Note: This article has been updated to include details of the Oct. 19 arrest of Jia Bei “Jesse” Zhu.

The discovery of a black market Chinese biolab operating in California, and the subsequent investigation into it, has exposed a tangled web of shell companies obscuring ownership and loopholes that caused delays in cleanup and informing the public.