China tried to steal Covid-19 vaccine data from US university: Report

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation had contacted the University of Texas, which is developing potential candidates of the vaccine against the novel coronavirus.

The FBI contacted the university after allegations associated with the Chinese consulate in Houston which allegedly spied on the research, South China Morning Post reported.

The US had recently issued orders to shut down the consulate, accusing it of spying on the US and influencing operations in the country. China retaliated by pulling the shutters of the US consulate in Chengdu.

FBI agents contacted university researchers about the alleged role of the consulate and “efforts by the Chinese government to illegally procure research from American universities, including coronavirus vaccine research”, according to the email by the University to its research staff, cited by South China Morning Post.

“We want to make you aware of an ongoing and evolving national situation that may affect some members of our research community,” read the email.

Recently, in an interview with Fox News, Texas Congressman McCaul accused China of trying to steal the research on the vaccine for Covid-19.

“We also have vaccine research going on at the Texas Medical Centre. We know that they are actively trying to steal that vaccine so that they can claim to the world they have saved them from the very virus they are responsible for,” said McCaul.

Source: Business Line