The U.S. government has released a report highlighting the growing threat of biological weapons development by North Korea, China, and Russia. These biological agents, along with nuclear weapons, are classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
On April 16, the State Department unveiled its 2025 Report on “Adherence to and Compliance With Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments.”
The document asserts that North Korea maintains a biological weapons (BW) program in violation of Articles I and II of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). U.S. officials believe Pyongyang has possessed this capability since at least the 1960s.
The report also reveals that North Korea has likely acquired the capacity to genetically modify biological agents using cutting-edge technologies like CRISPR, as reported by the country’s National Academy of Sciences and other sources.
U.S. intelligence suggests that North Korea could weaponize biological materials through unconventional delivery systems, such as sprayers or toxin injection devices. These methods have previously been associated with chemical warfare and could be adapted for covert biological weapons deployment.
The report further notes that North Korea continues to maintain biotechnology capabilities and weapons production infrastructure that could support its BW program. Pyongyang is believed to enhance these capabilities through international cooperation in dual-use scientific fields and by acquiring biological equipment and materials.
Regarding China, the report indicates that Beijing researched toxins and biotechnology with potential BW applications at military medical facilities last year.
U.S. officials assess that China likely possesses the capability to advance its biological weapons program using publicly available artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools.
The report also points out the lack of verifiable evidence that China has dismantled or repurposed all components of its past biological weapons program for peaceful purposes.
Concerning Russia, the document highlights Moscow’s extensive modernization of Soviet-era facilities that could support an offensive biological weapons program. It reveals that Russia invested millions of dollars last year to renovate the 48th Central Scientific Research Institute, a facility previously used for biological weapons research during the Soviet era.
Biological weapons utilize pathogens like viruses, bacteria, or toxins to inflict mass casualties. Experts warn that as little as one gram of certain agents could potentially kill up to 10 million people.
In 1975, 22 nations classified biological weapons alongside nuclear weapons as WMDs and signed the BWC.
Now, 186 countries, including China and Russia, are BWC signatories. However, concerns persist about the treaty’s effectiveness in preventing covert biological weapons development.
