Health Minister and His Department Differ on Whether There’s Ongoing China Collaboration at Winnipeg Lab

Health Minister and His Department Differ on Whether There’s Ongoing China Collaboration at Winnipeg Lab
Federal Health Minister Mark Holland listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference, in Ottawa on Dec. 12, 2023. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
Noé Chartier
Updated:
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After substantive details were disclosed about security breaches involving Chinese collaborators at Canada’s top biosafety lab, comments by the federal health minister and his department indicate they are not on the same page regarding ongoing research work with China.

When Health Minister Mark Holland was asked on Feb. 29 whether collaboration between China and the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg had stopped, he said the “short answer is yes.”