The United States Government, desperate for a win, started sending Americans 'free' rapid COVID tests as cases are surging. We here at Russell and Hunter ordered our tests the day they were available. A few days later our tests arrived.
Then we noticed something on the back in small print. Made in China.
It couldn't be. The same place the virus originated is where the Biden Administration ordered these rapid tests. Full circle.
We've now learned, thanks to PJ Media, iHealth, the Chinese company (the tests) came from, received a $1.275 billion contract from the Army Contracting Command earlier this month. Reuters reported that the firm, a division of China’s Andon Health Limited, also signed a $120 million contract from the New York State Department of Health and another for $148.3 million from Massachusetts.
Yes, the United States military is rewarding a Chinese company to make the tests they sent to you. Our best guess is the Biden Administration ran into a problem. They needed 4 tests per household, around 500 billion tests. The only place in the world to manufacture that number of tests quickly is in China. It started in China and now we need China to help find an end to the pandemic.
The Biden Administration is guessing we won't notice or care these tests were Made in China. They needed a short-term win. And they'll get one. Poll says over 80% of us agree, 'free' tests we paid for are a great idea. Biden is the most unpopular president ever after his first year in office.
But, his short-term win exposes long-term issues Biden isn't equipped to solve.
Neither is Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered KN95 masks for members of Congress and their staff. KN95 masks from China.
For now, America still drives innovation around the world, but China is the economic engine that delivers those products to the world. The long-term issue is China is catching up to us on innovation because they've stolen trillions of dollars of worth of intellectual property from U.S. companies.