Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, a public health emergency of global concern. The outbreak should also prompt U.S. leaders to ask some hard questions about pharmaceutical companies’ practice of outsourcing their manufacturing to China.

Coronaviruses infect animal cells. They circulate among animals, and some are known to infect humans. This one was first detected in the City of Wuhan in the “People’s Republic of China.”

It has since spread around the world. The long-term effects of the outbreak are unknown, but it has already brought devastating consequences for individuals, families, communities, and businesses far beyond China.

In addition to the immeasurable social and health impact, the spread of the virus has already affected business and economic activity, global financial markets and supply chains. A global recession is imminent.

The Chinese government has leverage over America’s economy and public health, as it has captured critical portions of global supply chains, including pharmaceutical drugs and medical equipment, without firing a shot.

According to the WHO, the Chinese knew of the “Wuhan virus” as early as Dec. 8, 2019. Yet disclosure to the WHO did not take place until around Jan. 11, 2020. This is typical when dealing with the Chinese government.

In 2002 a coronavirus had emerged in a similar wet market – where live animals are slaughtered and sold for human consumption – in Southern China. When the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak hit in 2003, the Communist Party again concealed it from the Chinese people and the world until it was a full-blown epidemic.

The Wuhan market is also a wet market. These wild animals are believed to have tonic properties and are used for body- building, sexual enhancement, and fighting disease.

The United States depends on China for pharmaceutical products. A Department of Commerce study found that over 90 percent of all antibiotics in the United States come from China.

While depending on China for thousands of ingredients and raw materials for medicine is a security issue, Americans should also be concerned about the safety and efficacy of Chinese-made pharmaceuticals. As recently as the summer of 2018, one of China’s domestic vaccine makers sold at least 250,000 substandard doses for diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. This instance was just the latest in a slew of scandals caused by low-quality Chinese drug products.

The time is long past to press pharmaceutical companies to bring manufacturing back to the United States. A nation’s first priority is to protect itself. Public health is as essential as military preparedness and economic health. Government must intervene to protect industries that are deemed vital to national security, such as telecommunications, aerospace, and yes, pharmaceuticals. Health care is a non-discretionary good.

The Chinese virus epidemic is a wake-up call that should make Americans ask some hard questions. How is national security defined? Does it only apply to military security or does it encompass industries that produce the technologies needed to ensure that the country remains economically competitive? Does domestic ownership make a difference in a world where national borders are receding in importance?

And when it comes to pharmaceuticals, can the United States survive without a safe, reliable supply? Does it make sense to depend upon foreign governments and companies to supply these products? What if China decides to stop exporting drugs to America?

Is the U.S. government really powerless to stop pharmaceutical companies from outsourcing drug manufacturing to save money and increase profits? The cold reality is that the government is loath to confront China because multinational corporations and Wall Street are the winners in a global system that has seen America hand China its industrial base – good jobs, intellectual property and global standing in exchange for alleged market access and cheap labor.

Failure to address these questions makes the ordinary American wonder if our current crop of political leaders could run a bath.