Chinese Scientists Arrested in Terrorism Plot, Say U.S. Authorities

United States Federal authorities have charged two Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, with smuggling a dangerous crop-destroying fungus, Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

The two scientists were reportedly funded by the Chinese government, attempted to bring the dangerous Fusarium graminearum into the U.S., which could have caused unprecedented crop damage, harming millions of people.

The Department of Justice alleges that the pair conspired to illicitly import the pathogen, which is known to cause Fusarium head blight—a disease affecting wheat, barley, maize, and rice—and is considered a potential agroterrorism weapon due to its capacity to inflict significant agricultural and economic harm.

U.S. authorities have labelled this act as terrorism.

Jian, a 33-year-old researcher at the University of Michigan, and Liu, her 34-year-old boyfriend, are accused of multiple federal offences, including conspiracy, smuggling, false statements, and visa fraud. According to court documents, Liu was intercepted at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in July 2024 carrying samples of the fungus concealed in his luggage. He initially denied knowledge of the materials but later admitted to bringing them for research purposes at Jian's university lab, which lacked the necessary federal permits to handle such pathogens.

The FBI's investigation revealed communications between Jian and Liu discussing plans to smuggle the fungus into the U.S. since 2022. Authorities also discovered that Jian had pledged support to the Communist Party of China in early 2024. Liu is currently at large, believed to be in China, and is unlikely to be extradited due to the absence of a treaty between the two countries.

Jian remains in custody as the legal proceedings continue, with a detention hearing scheduled for June 13. The case underscores ongoing tensions regarding biosecurity and the integrity of international research collaborations.

China has aggressively pursued global influence through diplomatic missions and strategic investments, often courting world leaders with financial incentives to position itself as a legitimate global power.

Yet, it continues to support regimes linked to terrorism, threatens Taiwan with military force, and engages in reckless acts around the globe—actions that suggest that China is not behaving like the responsible global leader it so desperately wants to be seen as.