China blasts US over fungus smuggling charges
The Chinese Consulate in Chicago said in a statement on Saturday that it was seeking information about the case and had lodged a “stern representation” with the US side, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
In its statement, the consulate said: “The Chinese government has always required Chinese citizens abroad to strictly abide by local laws and regulations, including those related to entry and exit.
“At the same time, China lawfully safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens overseas and firmly opposes the US side’s political manipulation of the case under the pretext of ideology and an overstretched concept of national security.”
The consular jurisdiction of the Chicago mission covers 11 US states including Michigan.
According to America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation, the pathogen is “a potential agroterrorism weapon” which poses a serious threat to crops like wheat, barley, maize, and rice, causing billions of dollars in damage globally. It is toxic to humans and animals as well and can cause vomiting, liver damage and reproductive defects.
Jian and Liu have been charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the US, false statements and visa fraud, a statement from prosecutors in Michigan said.
Liu was stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport last July and was denied entry and sent back to China, according to the complaint. Jian was arrested in connection with the allegations against Liu. She appeared in a court in Detroit on Thursday for a detention hearing, but the proceedings were postponed until June 13 to give her time to retain a private attorney.
According to the complaint, border officers found the pathogen in Liu’s backpack after he landed in Detroit. After first claiming that he was unaware of the danger posed by the samples, Liu later admitted he planned to use Jian’s University of Michigan lab to carry out research on the pathogen.
The complaint also alleges that Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. It also states that her electronic devices contained information indicating her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals – including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party – are of the gravest national security concerns,” US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jnr for the Eastern District of Michigan said.
The University of Michigan issued a statement on Tuesday, saying: “We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.
“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals.”
Chinese scientists told the South China Morning Post in earlier interviews that the allegation has been “politicised”, and that the fungus was “a globally prevalent pathogen”. It had been present in fields for a long time and was not highly contagious, a scientist at a Chinese university who has extensively studied Fusarium graminearum said.
Some researchers in the US also cast doubts on the FBI claims regarding the threat posed by the fungus. Reuters on Saturday cited agriculture experts as saying that the fungus has been in the US for more than a century, could be prevented by spraying pesticides, and was only dangerous if ingested regularly and in large quantities.
The case has heightened concerns about the further impact on US-China scientific research collaboration amid deepening tensions on multiple fronts, including trade and national security.
Last month, the US State Department announced that it would “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students who had links to the Communist Party or were studying in “critical fields”.
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