Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has been a vocal supporter of the Hormel Institute, a biomedical research center in Austin, Minnesota, known for its collaboration with various entities in China. The institute has worked extensively with the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), a company labeled by the Pentagon as a 'Chinese military company.' This collaboration has raised concerns about potential data collection for the Chinese government.
Dr. Zigang Dong, the former executive director of the Hormel Institute, resigned in 2019 amidst an FBI probe regarding possible failure to report foreign backing when applying for grants. Dong also established the China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, a partnership with a research facility in China. Walz has been a longtime supporter of the institute, securing funding and technology grants for its expansion.
