The White House is giving away free COVID-19 test kits and they’re made in China.
Over $600 million in taxpayer dollars are funding the campaign. Over half of that money has flowed to companies tied to China.
Looking to stock up 200 million test kits, the U.S. government Department of Health and Human Services awarded the funding to twelve manufacturers.
One of them took the lion’s share, earning almost $170 million.
The California lab is called I-Health. It’s a subsidiary of a medical device maker based in one of China’s megacities and one of its biggest shareholders has been accused of aiding Beijing’s censorship efforts.
I-Health had struggled with financial issues for years, but the multi-million contract brought its revenue to a record high.
In 2022 alone, U.S. orders for its test kits made up almost 99 percent of the company’s sales.
Among the major U.S. buyers are state health departments of New York and Massachusetts, and a U.S. military command office.
Besides the company, another of the twelve awardees has a San Diego address but is linked to Beijing.
The head of its parent firm serves as a high-profile Chinese official.
Speaking about the situation to the Epoch Times, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall described the test kits deal as an overreaction by the CDC and White House.
Echoing those concerns, Senator Joni Ernst says the U.S. should stay “skeptical” of cooperating with Chinese companies.
The White House and several of the awarded manufacturers have not responded to requests for comment.