Initiating Joint Chinese-U.S. Activities on Biological Safety and Global Health Security

Abstract

China is critically important to international health and biological security efforts, yet awareness and implementation of biosafety and biosecurity practices are inconsistent among life science researchers and others working with pathogens and dual-use biotechnology in China. In late 2012, the Committee on International Security and Arms Control (CISAC) began development of a bilingual Chinese- English biotechnology and biosecurity glossary. This reference guide sought to map common conceptual understandings of biosecurity and the impact of biotechnology on biosafety and biosecurity, and to exchange information on U.S. and Chinese safety and security regulations for high-containment laboratories.