A researcher operates a microscope in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on Dec 26, 2018. [Photo/IC] The news back in November that Chinese scientist He Jiankui had illegally edited the genomes of twin girls led to international uproar. Both in China and the wider world, experts condemned the announcement, calling it a worrying assault on the ethical fabric of society. The twin girls, which He claimed are now HIV-resistant, were involuntary subjects in an experiment in the most volatile interpretation of the word. The twin girls, nicknamed Lulu and Nana, were effectively used as guinea pigs for a very primitive and unproven form of gene editing. China denounced the experiment and proposed stricter new gene-editing laws, which were outlined in late February. This new legislation will act as a welcome safety belt for the genetics industry, which,while still in its infancy, is progressing around the world at a startling pace. Gene editing is still at a hit and miss stage, and refinement is needed. The DNA editing tool CRISPR, which was only invented in 2012, is still associated with the possibility of unintentional and accidental mutations. These could easily cause problems in later life, with especially high chances of cancer potentially developing. The worry is that a lack of regulation in this field could both lead to an epidemic of socially and ethically disruptive designer babies, and also widespread healthcare disasters internationally. China's new legislation is not taking any chances. To help prevent such risks, the proposed rules require all life science clinical trials (gene editing or not), to be classified as high or low risk, with explicit government permission mandatory before even the first step in the lab is taken. Any researchers and institutions, including hospitals, which violate this will be subject to a strict lifetime ban from research work and criminal investigations. Given that this area of science is touching on playing god, such deterrents will come as welcome relief to both ethical think tanks and human rights watch dogs around the world. These regulations, however, will prove to be a bit of a double-edged sword. Keh Kooi Kee, a researcher at Tsinghua University, told the Associated Press that, since the He Jiankui incident, researchers such as himself have faced additional difficulty in getting research approved. Instead, a huge mountain of paperwork and red tape will now slow the process down. However, the seriousness of the issue warrants such caution. A dystopian future, in which people can alter the most personal and deterministic things in others at the snap of a finger, should be treated with caution at the highest level.The ease with which such power could fall into the wrong hands cannot be understated. Way back in 2017, fears were raised that the DNA editing tool CRISPR was accessible and easy. Mail order CRISPR kits cost just $130, and can be used to hack the DNA of bacteria to produce potentially dangerous mutants. Users of the kit do not need a PhD to make it work, they only need to be able to follow a basic set of instructions and use plastic tubes and pipettes. Granted, modifying bacteria is not the same thing as editing a human, but the basic principle remains the same and we share the same DNA templates. After Nana and Lulu, we cannot stay in denial and must admit the intention to push boundaries extra-judicially does exist. The Chinese authorities have reacted fast to this incident with proposed legislation that might ordinarily have taken years to draft. It is a welcome example of the kind of action the rest of the world should also take. 1 inch silicone wristbandscustom-silicon-wristbands80s rubber braceletssilicone wristbandsembossed-wristband
A PLA Navy carrier battle group sails in formation. MO XIAOLIANG/FOR CHINA DAILY Humanitarian actions win praise as the force celebrates its 70th birthday. Zhang Zhihao reports. In May 2002, vessels from the People's Liberation Army Navy embarked on the force's first round-the-world voyage, opening a new chapter in its global outreach and cooperation. Having set sail from a base in Qingdao, Shandong province, guided-missile destroyer CNS Qingdao and supply ship CNS Taicang visited 10 countries, from Singapore to Brazil. The voyage lasted four months and covered more than 30,000 nautical miles (55,560 kilometers), according to records from the Ministry of National Defense. Long-distance voyages are often regarded as coming-of-age experiences for navies capable of such feats. The 2002 voyage represented a major upgrade of the PLA Navy's operational abilities in far-flung oceans since it began visiting neighboring countries in 1985. Major General Ding Yiping, commander of the fleet for the 2002 world tour, told Xinhua News Agency that port calls by warships and goodwill visits are a special kind of peacetime diplomacy. Such visits are also a key way of helping to modernize the PLA Navy and improve mutual exchanges, understanding and friendship between the navies of China and foreign powers, according to Ding. The tour showcased China's resolve to maintain world peace, and demonstrated that the PLA Navy is a mighty, civilized and peaceful military force, he said. funny silicone wristbandscolor-wristbandsrubber message braceletsmake rubber braceletsplain black silicone wristbands<%2fcenter>
