Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals and other medical companies have been scrambling to get enough personal protective equipment (PPE), especially the most protective face masks called N95. Unfortunately, because much of the American supply chain is in China, when the virus first started spreading in China, China decided to start stockpiling masks instead of sending them to other countries. Joining us in this episode of China Uncensored is Mike Bowen, the owner of U.S. mask manufacturing company Prestige Ameritech. He's been warning anyone who will listen for the last 15 years that being so reliant on Chinese masks is a threat to Americans' health, and U.S. national security.
For years, the U.S. medical mask market has been flooded by cheap Chinese masks that, thanks to Chinese government subsidies, have made it impossible for U.S. businesses to compete. Joining us in this episode is Mike Bowen, the co-owner of U.S. mask maker Prestige Ameritch. He says he has been warning anyone who will listen that allowing China to dominate the mask market is a national security threat to the U.S. After a continuous PPE shortage in the U.S., why aren't we listening to him yet?