Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, was hired by Chinese pharmaceutical company WuXi AppTec to manage fallout from US national security allegations. The $3m contract, signed in 2024, focused on European policy issues, according to the firm.
WuXi AppTec was named in a US biosecurity bill in January 2024 over alleged ties to the Chinese military and human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The company denied the claims, with its chair signing an open letter rejecting the allegations as 'misguided'.
Global Counsel offered 'geopolitical risk mitigation' services in May 2024, shortly after the bill’s introduction. The firm declared the contract on the EU transparency register and said it only advised on European matters.
Mandelson stepped down as Global Counsel chair in May 2024 and ceased advising the business in December 2024. He retains a minority stake, which is being divested. The work is led by CEO Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, a former Downing Street communications chief.
The Biosecure Act, which initially targeted WuXi AppTec, failed to pass the US Senate in 2024 after industry opposition. A revised version, omitting the company, was endorsed by the Senate in early 2025.
WuXi AppTec has announced plans to establish its first European headquarters in Germany. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
