The main protagonist in the 1995 film Under Siege targets Chinese weapons of mass destruction site as a means of confirmation to the US military that he was indeed in possession of a powerful satellite weapon. Prior to the attack, he indicates to the military contacts that they know it is a weapon of mass destruction production site but they pretend not to know. Similarly, China knows that they know but pretends not to know too and ends with the famous phrase “everyone knows but everyone pretends.” This is the unfortunate truth about weapons of mass destruction in general and biological weapons in particular. Every relevant person knows that China has them, China also knows that they have them, everyone knows but everyone pretends (Pike, 2016). The threat of Chinese biological weapons is therefore not only real, but also probable either as an act of aggression, a freak accident, or a partisan effort.
Biological, chemical and nuclear weapons fall under the same military classification known as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and are simply referred to as weapons utilized in Biological Warfare (BW). BW, also known as Germ warfare involves the use of infectious pathogens such as bacteria, viruses or fungi against an enemy with the intention of killing the enemy or the enemy’s forces, debilitating or avoiding the enemy from accessing a certain place. On the other hand, Chemical weapon are a form of ammunition that makes use of chemical agents designed to cause death or harm to human beings (Leahy, 2016). Whereas biological and chemical weapons may sometimes overwrap, the main difference lies in their nature of use, the use of chemical weapons are mostly overt while biological weapons are used covertly.
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It may be right to argue that an attach with weapons of mass destruction by China may never happen as China is a signatory to both the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), the converse is actually true. It is in public domain that China still has robust chemical and biological weapon development industries. The US government in the late 1990s placed sanction on five Chinese individuals, two Chinese companies, and one from Hong Kong for aiding Iran in its chemical weapon development. This is obvious evidence that the chemical weapons production industry is still active in China. With regard to biological weapons, the BTWC has a loophole that allows members to develop protection mechanisms from biological weapons (Guillemin, 2005). This creates an avenue for China to continue developing these weapons in the name of protection and preparedness.
With the capacity to attack now established, the only remaining ingredient is cause to attack. The fluidity of international policy and the myriad of treaties executed between nations friendly to the US as opposed to those allied to China and the probability of belligerence between the two powerful nations is always a disagreement away either between China and the US directly or vide their allies. A good example being the Republic of China, popularly referred to as Taiwan, which China believes is its province yet the US recognizes it as a sovereign state. A conflict can also arise between an ally of the US on one side pitted against an ally of China and both nations be forced by treaties signed committing them to their allies into responding.
China has also developed the capacity to transmit chemical and biological weapons as far as continental US due to its military advancements. Some of these advancements are so secret that they are not known to exist hence, the inability to anticipate them. The introduction of biological weapon is even easier as a single individual, infected with a weaponized version of a rare but dangerous pathogen like small pox is all it takes to create a massive attack (Bowman et al., 2010).
The public health role in mitigating impacts of chemical or Biological weapon attack by China would fall under the federal government as supervised by the CDC and other federal bodies as well as the Military. As and when a chemical or biological attack takes place, the capacity to respond to the said attack and safe lives is dependent both on the reaction undertaken upon attack but most importantly on the measures put in place in advance to prevent illness or injury from this attacks (CDC, 2000). Further, there is need for the training, sensitization and preparation of primary health-care providers who would be the first responders during such an attack. A well prepared, well-oiled and structured public health system right from the local level, through the state and finally to the federal level is also necessary to respond to a major or a coordinated attack like the one to be expected from an enemy nation as opposed to the pocket sized approach of the terrorist attacks that the nation is currently prepared for.
Preparing for the overt attacks, mostly related with chemical weapons may also be easier and different from preparing for the more covert biological attack . Overt attacks usually involve explosions or release of agents that either leave traces or cause immediate effects and reactions like the irritation of mucus membranes (CDC, 2000). It, therefore, follows that a chemical attack will attract the attention of authorities as soon as it takes place who will at once initiate the set responses depending with then nature or magnitude of the attack.
On the other hand, the covert biological weapon may avoid detection until a lot of damage has already taken place. Some pathogens like Anthrax and Ebola may be designed in ways that they can spread to a vast cross section of the populace before the authorities even realize that the nation is under attack (Revill & Jefferson, 2014). Since the primary health providers and the local physician will be the first person to receive seemingly complaints after a biological weapon has been released to the populace, complaints which can be mistaken for ordinary illnesses until days, or in some cases weeks later when this symptoms shall be confirmed to be a biological weapon. There is need for sensitization and vigilance by these primary providers since the earlier the attack is realized, the faster it can be reacted to through treatment regiments for the infected and mass vaccinations for the exposed leading to the saving of more lives.
There is indeed good reason for worry, China has the capacity to weaponize and use biological and chemical weapons like the Viola Virus, Aerosolized Anthrax Spores, Nerve Gas or even consumption based biological or chemical weapons. All these have the capacity to spread covertly even before they are realized and could reach the capacity to overwhelm even the federal public health infrastructure since widespread panic causes even the unaffected to head for public health facilities thus overwhelming them. Some people will end up getting contaminated by those who genuinely require medical attention or obstructing them from receiving the crucial medical attention. An early detection before the onset of panic is therefore crucial.
Towards this end, federal public health organizations led by the CDC have developed the Rapid Response and Advanced Technology (RRAT) laboratory, a central place that will diagnose and test any suspicious or rare element or disorder to ensure that any chemical or biological weapon introduced into the populace is detected and reacted to at the earliest (CDC, 2000). The CDC also retains a large database of probable and possible pathogens and their cures or antidotes as well as vaccines to ensure that once a chemical or biological weapon effect is detected in the populace, the reactive measures will be available.
An attack by a nation with capacity to prepare and utilize chemical or biological weapons should best be avoided. The public health department should, however, exercise constant and consistent readiness that progresses even as the anticipated attack progresses. There should be an alertness that should constantly be upheld since it would mean the difference between survival and annihilation, in case of attack by a determined and powerful enemy like China.
References
Bowman, K., Hughes, K., Husbands,L., Revill, J. & Rusek, B. (2010). Trends in science and technology relevant to the biological and toxin weapons convention: Summary of an international workshop in Beijing, China . Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.
CDC. (2000). Biological and chemical terrorism: Strategic plan for preparedness and response . Retrieved from <http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview /mmwrhtml/rr4904a1.htm/>
Guillemin, J. (2005). Biological weapons: From the invention of state-sponsored programs to contemporary bioterrorism . New York: Columbia University Press.
Kan, S. (2010). China and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles : Policy Issues. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Leahy, G. (2016). Chemical and biological warfare. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 1.
Murphy, G. (Dir). (1995). Under Siege 2 : Dark territory [DVD]. USA: Warner Bros.
Pike, J. (2016). Chemical and biological weapons: China special weapons . Retrieved May 24, 2016, from <http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/china/cbw.htm/>
Revill, J., & Jefferson, C. (2014). Tacit knowledge and the biological weapons regime. Science & Public Policy (SPP), 41(5), 597-610.
