Essential medicines are a dangerous chokepoint because China dominates their supply chain, therapeutic substitutes would not be readily available if those supplies were withheld, and Beijing has already proven it’s willing to weaponize the pharmaceutical supply chain against other nations. Beijing has already demonstrated a willingness to weaponize pharmaceutical supply chains for diplomatic, trade, and geopolitical leverage. China imposed export controls on dual-use products shipped to Japan, including those used in pharmaceutical manufacturing, after remarks by Japan’s prime minister on the Taiwan Strait. Weaponization of pharmaceutical supply chains need not resemble a public embargo on exports from China to the U.S. Victor A. Suarez is a retired U.S. Army colonel and founder of Blu Zone Bioscience & Supply Chain Solutions.