Just saw this on NBC nightly news this evening. They were talking about the way China has taken over the prescription drug market, currently, they supply about 80 percent of the WORLD'S drugs.
By the way, did you know that penicillin hasn't been made in America since 2004? It's all made in China now.
And, it's said that if China decided to stop supplying us with drugs and the materials to manufacture them, our hospitals would shut down in a couple of weeks. And, not only would it have an impact on the civilian population, but it could also have serious implications for our military.
Still think a trade war with China is a good thing?
U.S. officials worried about Chinese control of American drug supply
Other generic drugs whose key ingredients are manufactured in China include medicines for blood pressure medicine, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy and depression, Gibson says.
"We can't make penicillin anymore," said Gibson. "The last penicillin plant in the United States closed in 2004."
A Chinese manipulation of drug ingredients or supply may seem like a fairly remote possibility. A state-run Chinese paper said this week that there's little chance the government would deliberately harm Americans by cutting off the flow of antibiotics.
But as the Trump administration's trade war with China heats up, a leading Chinese economist gave voice to the worst fears of U.S. policymakers in March, in a speech to an annual national congress.
"China is the world's largest exporter of vitamins and antibiotic raw materials," he said, according to an NBC News translation. "Once the export is reduced, the medical systems of some developed countries will not work."
The Pentagon has noticed.
By the way, did you know that penicillin hasn't been made in America since 2004? It's all made in China now.
And, it's said that if China decided to stop supplying us with drugs and the materials to manufacture them, our hospitals would shut down in a couple of weeks. And, not only would it have an impact on the civilian population, but it could also have serious implications for our military.
Still think a trade war with China is a good thing?
U.S. officials worried about Chinese control of American drug supply
Other generic drugs whose key ingredients are manufactured in China include medicines for blood pressure medicine, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy and depression, Gibson says.
"We can't make penicillin anymore," said Gibson. "The last penicillin plant in the United States closed in 2004."
A Chinese manipulation of drug ingredients or supply may seem like a fairly remote possibility. A state-run Chinese paper said this week that there's little chance the government would deliberately harm Americans by cutting off the flow of antibiotics.
But as the Trump administration's trade war with China heats up, a leading Chinese economist gave voice to the worst fears of U.S. policymakers in March, in a speech to an annual national congress.
"China is the world's largest exporter of vitamins and antibiotic raw materials," he said, according to an NBC News translation. "Once the export is reduced, the medical systems of some developed countries will not work."
The Pentagon has noticed.