The United States and China are engaged in a power struggle over advanced technology, leaving even university campuses, where pure academic exchanges occur, stained by espionage.
The Washington Post (WP) announced on the 4th (local time) that the U.S. Department of Justice has charged Chinese national Yuan Qingjian (33), who was working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan's Microbial Interactions Research Institute, and Liu Junyong (34), a researcher from Zhejiang University, with conspiring to smuggle toxic mold.
The two individuals, who are in a romantic relationship, were caught last July at Detroit Airport trying to smuggle samples of toxic mold brought in from China hidden in their bags.
Kash Patel, Director General of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), directly stated, "This incident shows the stark reality that the Chinese Communist Party is infiltrating U.S. agencies with operatives and researchers, targeting food security while being active around the clock."
The mold they attempted to bring in, known as Fusarium graminearum, is not just an ordinary fungus. U.S. authorities classify this mold as a potential agricultural bioweapon.
According to Fox News, FBI agent Edward Nie noted in court that "the toxins produced by Fusarium graminearum can cause severe vomiting and liver damage if they enter the human body."
The international scientific journal Science also reported that this fungus causes deadly red mold disease or head blight in major grains such as wheat, barley, corn, oats, and even rice, stating that "infected crops lose their commercial value, and in severe cases, lead to a sharp decline in yields, resulting in economic losses exceeding billions of dollars annually."
According to Fox News, Yuan Qingjian and Liu Junyong said at the airport customs that they "brought the samples to clone and study various strains in a university laboratory."
However, the University of Michigan stated that "we have never granted any permits for the importation or research of this fungus."
Fox News reported that files found on their cell phones during the investigation included an annual self-research evaluation form to be submitted to a Chinese university and a loyalty oath stipulating that they would "follow the principles of the Chinese Communist Party."
Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that "the Chinese Government Scholarship Committee (CSC) provides funding to 15% of Chinese students at U.S. universities" and that "thousands of Chinese students receiving government-supported scholarships are often required to sign an agreement stating they will submit regular situation reports before leaving the country."
Spy incidents linked to Chinese students or researchers in the United States have become more overt and bold in the 2020s.
In 2019, Zhao Songzheng, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, was caught at Boston Airport trying to smuggle 21 biological samples related to cancer research hidden in his socks.
In the following year, 2020, Hao Zhang, a professor at Tianjin University in China, was convicted of attempting to steal core technologies from U.S. semiconductor companies Avago and Skyworks.
Also, in 2021, Xu Yanzhun, an intelligence officer belonging to the Ministry of State Security (MSS) of China, was arrested in Belgium for attempting to steal technologies from major U.S. aerospace corporations such as General Electric (GE).
Recently, a Chinese intelligence officer using a pseudonym was caught intentionally trying to approach female students conducting sensitive research at Stanford University, the cradle of Silicon Valley, to steal information.
Experts noted that this toxic mold smuggling incident coincides with moves by the second administration of Trump to cancel the visas of Chinese students and researchers studying core technologies in the U.S. linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
The Trump administration previously launched the China Initiative program in 2018, which aimed to identify Chinese spies and prevent technology leaks in the U.S.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized on the 28th of last month that "we will significantly strengthen the visa screening for individuals linked to the Chinese Communist Party and students from mainland China and Hong Kong majoring in sensitive areas for U.S. security."
Currently, the number of Chinese students in the U.S. stands at around 280,000. China sends the second-largest number of international students to the U.S., following India. International students generally pay higher tuition fees than American students, and universities often use this revenue to fund scholarships for U.S. students. In particular, Chinese students hold a significant share in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields.
Experts say that the U.S.-China conflict is escalating beyond trade disputes and technological hegemony to a level that directly threatens national security and the everyday lives of citizens.
The University of Michigan stated in a statement on the 4th that "we strongly condemn any actions that threaten national security or undermine the university's important public mission" and added, "we have not received any financial support from the Chinese government related to the individuals charged."
On the other hand, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Lin Jian stated at a press conference that "I am not very familiar with this incident, but the Chinese government has always requested overseas Chinese nationals to strictly comply with local laws and regulations."