Scientist He Jiankui, who sparked controversy worldwide for creating the world’s first gene-edited babies and was sentenced to three years in prison in China, has not disappeared from the public eye. Instead, he recently gave an interview to American media, revealing that he has received a job offer from a Shenzhen government-funded medical research institute. He also lavishly praised his own research achievements, saying that the motherland is ready to welcome him back, and that Chinese biotechnology will surpass that of the United States. “China’s gene editing technology will, like Chinese electric vehicles, take a leading position globally.”
The New York Times reported on the 14th that the 41-year-old He Jiankui is currently living at a government-supported scientific research center in Beijing. Because his passport has been confiscated, he cannot leave the country. He revealed that he has restarted his gene editing research in a Beijing laboratory, focusing on eliminating diseases such as Alzheimer’s. However, for now, experiments are only being conducted on mice, with no involvement of humans, and he has even recently received a job offer from a government-funded medical research institute in Shenzhen.
He kept tight-lipped about his current employer but spoke at length about how Chinese biotechnology will surpass research in the United States. He predicted: “China’s gene editing technology will, like Chinese electric vehicles, take a leading position globally.”
As for why the already infamous He Jiankui has not been muted by officials or forced into obscurity, analysts believe the reasons “are intriguing.” Herbert, an associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Arizona who has known He Jiankui for many years, said, “For a country adept at censorship and control, it is curious that they are letting him operate so freely.” China’s scientific ambitions may explain why He Jiankui “has not been treated as a former criminal” and is still free to make such bold statements.