The latest arms compliance report also contains a slight but significant change in wording from last year’s report, suggesting U.S. intelligence agencies have clarified some questions about China’s covert biological warfare work. The 2020 report said China had engaged in activities with potential military applications. The 2021 report omits the word “potential,” indicating that the finding is based on new intelligence regarding the research. One possible source for the new information is a People’s Liberation Army doctor who defected to a European nation last year with details on Beijing’s biowarfare program. The Washington Times reported the defection in September.