In 2020, U.S. intelligence warned that China was researching CRISPR-based gene editing to enhance soldier performance.
It shouldn't be a surprise. President Xi Jinping has stated China's goal is to surpass the global power of Western nations - particularly the United States -- by 2049. This means China is committed to developing the most powerful military in the world. And one dark advantage they have over the West is their willingness to cross ethical lines to achieve that goal. That's why we find Chinese studies on genetic editing not in medical journals, but military plans.
What exactly could be done to enhance soldiers? If you're imagining Captain America, you might roll your eyes and call it all ridiculous. In the comics, the First Avenger can lift over a thousand pounds and throw his shield so hard he can dent steel. Plus he runs over 30 miles an hour and dodges bullets. No one is expecting these kinds of results from the Chinese. But the thing is, you shouldn't dismiss the idea entirely. China is actually trying.
In their military journals are studies on genetic factors for strength, endurance, and altitude tolerance. They've looked into muscle enhancing genes, brain-computer interfaces, and cognitive enhancement.
Chinese scientists have shown that disabling the MSTN gene (in myostatin proteins) leads to greater muscle growth without any time in the gym. And enhanced mitochondrial genes can boost energy and slow muscle fatigue. They've even identified genes for denser bones and regenerative pathways to speed recovery from wounds, as well as genes for radiation resistance and T-cell receptors that boost immune systems.
It's not a Marvel Comics fantasy to imagine a Chinese soldier who only sleeps 3 hours a night, heals from serious injuries in days, resists pain and infection, and is just plain stronger than any soldier in the West. All the genes to make this happen have been identified and targeted.
Of course, actually making these changes has not been feasible. Certainly not at the scale required to create an enhanced army.
Until now.
CRISPR is the current state-of-the art DNA editing tool. It allows scientists to precisely cut and modify genes in living organisms, including humans. It's behind milestone medical treatments, including a therapy that has cured sickle cell disease in patients who used to need blood transfusions. And a therapy to treat Leber Congenital Amaurosis, a rare disease that causes blindness from birth. LCA patients treated with the CRISPR-developed EDIT-101 therapy have actually regained partial vision.
Gene editing actually works, and miracles can result.
But as amazing as CRIPSR technology is, it's limited in scope. It can help modify a crop or address a specific genetic disease by making small edits in DNA. But to make a true super soldier, you need wholesale changes in entire DNA segments.
In a study published this month by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters in the journal Cell, researchers have shown they can do just that.
Chinese scientists have developed ground-breaking tools that allow accurate, scar-free edits of large DNA sections in human cells. These new methods of gene editing are "Programmable Chromosome Engineering (PCE)" and "Recombinase-based PCE (RePCE)". They combine biological systems with AI and computational design. The mind-bending part? They operate inside living cells, not computers. Once inside, these hybrid tools can make big changes in target DNA, leaving no unwanted DNA behind (common in CRISPR procedures).
As part of the study, the researchers achieved major DNA edits, like a 315,000-base DNA flip in rice to create herbicide resistance, and a 12-million-base change at a disease-related site in human DNA. These incredible tools can flip, remove, or insert massive pieces of genetic code in both plants and animals.
Suddenly, it's within reach to enhance a human with stronger muscles, resistance to fatigue, tolerance to pain, rapid healing, and even enhanced cognition. All of these traits have been identified with specific genes. The Chinese already know what DNA to enhance.
And unlike their American counterparts, there's no hesitation applying the technology to humans. According to the paper, "The PCE systems support programmable chromosome engineering in plants and human cells," and "significantly broaden the scope of genome editing applications in molecular breeding, therapeutic development, and synthetic biology". If "synthetic biology" sounds like it's out of the comics, just remember the quote is from a scientific paper that claims it's possible.
As we said, the lack of ethical boundaries is a dark advantage the Chinese enjoy in their drive to dominate the globe. They won't hesitate to try new medical technology on humans.
Their other obvious "dark advantage" is the sheer amount of Chinese people. China's active-duty military force numbers over 2 million personnel, making it the world's largest standing army. Here's hoping they never get enhanced.