Topic is Chinese Spies in Michigan engaging in Agro-Terrorism
Interview starts at the 1:38:35 Mark
Andrea Widburg joined John B. Wells to unpack a shocking case that underscores a growing threat: the alleged smuggling of a crop-destroying fungus by two Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, into the United States—an act DOJ officials contend may amount to covert agroterrorism.
U.S. sources indicate that Liu, a researcher visiting from China, was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in July 2024 after customs agents discovered Fusarium graminearum hidden in his luggage. This fungus, known for causing “head blight” in staple crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice, carries the capacity to inflict significant economic damage and potentially threaten livestock and consumer health due to its production of potent toxins.
According to court documents, Liu lied to border agents regarding the pathogen in his possession, later admitting it was intended for a University of Michigan lab where Jian—a researcher linked to China’s Communist Party—worked washingtonpost.comchicago.suntimes.com. Communication between the pair, intercepted by the FBI, included coded language that raised concerns about a deliberate importation effort chicago.suntimes.comksat.com.
When FBI agents later searched Jian’s lab in Ann Arbor, they uncovered evidence suggesting active cultivation of the pathogen, despite the absence of federal permits chicago.suntimes.comriverbender.com. Jian reportedly received Chinese government backing for her research, and communications on her device show expressions of loyalty to the Party nypost.comnypost.com. Meanwhile, Liu remained in China after deportation, and without an extradition treaty, faces low odds of returning to face U.S. justice nypost.comtheguardian.com.
Widburg described the fungus as an “agroterrorism weapon”: a biologic agent with the power to halve crop yields and spread toxins harmful to both animals and humans washingtonpost.comglobalnews.ca. She noted the FBI has classified it accordingly and emphasized the gravity of the threat, given America’s dependence on wheat, corn, rice, and barley nypost.comwashingtonpost.com.
This case arrives amid a broader context of heightened scrutiny on research ties between U.S. universities and Chinese nationals. Widburg pointed out that other investigations are probing undisclosed, dual-use scientific work linked to Chinese agents, beyond what the public has yet learned.
FDA and university responses, Widburg noted, have largely been tepid. The University of Michigan denied accepting Chinese-government funding for the pathogen research and professed full cooperation with authorities. But Widburg raised concerns about lax oversight and warned of a recurring pattern: one where dangerous research is allowed until it’s exposed.
She further suggested this incident could be part of a larger CCP strategy deploying scientists to infiltrate U.S. research institutions under non-transparent pretenses while pursuing national objectives
In the interview, Widburg also addressed the risks faced by U.S. agriculture and public health if a more virulent or resistant fungal strain had been introduced. Injecting a foreign strain into American fields, she warned, could dramatically lower crop outputs and disrupt food supply chains—much like a biological attack on rural America.
Embedded were questions about legal accountability. With only one suspect in U.S. custody and the other abroad, Widburg criticized the Biden administration’s limited use of visa restrictions and export controls as insufficient defenses against biothreats, especially when smugglers are afforded cover under research initiatives
John B. Wells asked how listeners should respond. Widburg urged civil and federal leaders to step up vetting for research involving high-risk pathogens, especially those with dual-use implications. She also called on Congress and the executive branch to include “agroterrorism” in biosecurity planning and funding appropriations.
Finally, she warned of ramifications for broader foreign relations, noting that such incidents feed into the distrust and rising tensions between the U.S. and China. She stressed that agriculture—long seen as basic and peaceful—has now become a target of geopolitical machinations.
Wells closed by asking how civil society itself should react. Widburg encouraged farmers, local officials, and industry groups to be vigilant, share intelligence with federal authorities, and demand transparency from academic partners. She argued that national and crop-level security can no longer be separated.
