“The global economy is consuming ever more natural resources.” The opening line of the 2024 Global Resources Outlook highlights a defining challenge of our time. The gap between human demand and planetary limits will continue to widen. Biotechnology offers one pathway to bridge that gap, and the competition to lead in this domain is already underway.At the Australian National University, the Genes and Geopolitics team is mapping how nations are positioning themselves in this emerging race. China is at the centre of the story. This work is led by Zhouyi Wang. Initially trained in protein biophysics, Zhouyi now works as a bench scientist researching women’s health with a parallel focus on the geopolitics of biomanufacturing. Her technical grounding allows her to interrogate the science behind biomanufacturing claims and identify where real strategic leverage lies. She applies this dual lens to the analysis of China’s biomanufacturing ambitions.As seen in sectors such as steel and solar panels, China’s industrial advantage lies in its unmatched capacity to scale production quickly and at volume. This capability is already evident in biomanufacturing where bio-based fermentation is used to commercially produce materials such as polyamides for textiles, vitamin B5 for supplements, and a growing range of therapeutics. However, China still lacks proprietary strains and core bioprocess software. This is a structural vulnerability that China is racing to close. Zhouyi’s research tracks how China is mobilising state resources to close these gaps, foster innovation and build domestic capability. Biomanufacturing has been framed as a core technological frontier in consecutive Five-Year Plan documents. New national venture guidance funds are emerging as private capital withdraws from the sector. Her work explores how these shifts are redefining global bio-competition and what they mean for policymakers and industry leaders who are navigating the future of biomanufacturing.