Chinese Nationals Charged with Smuggling Crop-Destroying Pathogen into the U.S.

By The Blog Source

Researchers with ties to the CCP accused of a bio-threat have received federal grants totaling millions.

A University of Michigan facility run by Chinese researchers who received millions in federal grants was linked to two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling a crop-destroying disease into the United States. The scientists Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu purportedly attempted to smuggle the fungus Fusarium graminearum, which is classified as a possible bioterror threat due to its ability to ruin important food crops.

The case is "a sobering reminder that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have terrible ramifications," according to a post on X by FBI Director Kash Patel. The purpose of Jian and Liu's fungus research is not made clear in the affidavit.

Both were employed in a University of Michigan research lab run by Chinese scientists with NIH funding; pro-CCP messages and prior seed smuggling efforts are among the DOJ's evidence. The FBI and senators warn of biosecurity and espionage threats, claiming that the case is part of a larger trend of Chinese infiltration into American institutions.

According to government documents and archived lab pages examined by Just the News, two Chinese scientists who are currently facing federal charges for smuggling a dangerous crop pathogen into the United States had a close relationship with a federally funded research lab at the University of Michigan run by senior Chinese researchers.

The suspects, Zunyong Liu, 34, and Yunqing Jian, 33, are charged with trying to import Fusarium graminearum, a crop fungus that is thought to be a possible agroterrorism agent, into the nation. Scientific literature has identified the pathogen as a biosecurity issue, targeting rice, maize, barley, and wheat by causing head blight.

According to the Justice Department, there was proof of Jian's "loyalty" to the Chinese Communist Party on her electronic devices. Prosecutors also pointed out that when asked about the biological materials he tried to bring into the country in July 2024, Liu first told false information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials before acknowledging that he planned to carry out research at Michigan's facility, where Jian was employed.

Jian and Liu both worked with Chinese nationals Dr. Ping He and Dr. Libo Shan, prominent academics who have been awarded over $7.6 million in NIH funds to study plant immunity. Jian and Liu co-authored research articles that cite these very grants. Funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation also helped the scientists.

The case, according to federal officials, raises concerns about foreign involvement in U.S. research. The incident was described as "a direct threat to our national security, biosecurity, and economic independence" by FBI Director Kash Patel's adviser Erica Knight, who also promised to rid the U.S. research system of Chinese Communist Party infiltration.

In a statement, the university promised to cooperate with federal investigators and denied receiving financing from the Chinese government associated with the accused. However, the school has already come up in investigations pertaining to China.

After finishing his doctoral studies in Zhejiang, Jian, a postdoctoral scholar from Sichuan, China, reportedly started working at the Michigan lab in August 2022. She received concurrent funding from Chinese postdoctoral grant programs, according to DOJ papers. They previously sneaked seeds into the United States by hiding them within Jian's shoes, according to text exchanges between Jian and Liu that were taken from the Chinese app WeChat.

U.S. customs officials classified Liu, who was romantically involved with Jian, as a fellow at the Michigan lab prior to her arrest. DOJ filings accuse the two of conspiring to defraud the United States, making false representations, and committing visa fraud.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, the head of the Senate's investigative subcommittee, cited the instance as proof that worries about risky U.S.-funded research associated with China that were brought up during COVID-19 have not been addressed. Johnson told Just the News, "Fauci and Collins not only funded risky research but also directed funding to scientists loyal to China."

Rep. Greg Murphy of North Carolina described the incident as "almost an act of war," citing it as one component of China's larger campaign of covert aggression that includes everything from fentanyl trafficking to hacking. Murphy stated, "We need to be extremely alert to these kinds of infections entering the nation."

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