2 Chinese researchers accused of smuggling 'potential agroterrorism weapon' to US
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday identified the pathogen as Fusarium graminearum, a fungus it said was classified in scientific literature as a potential agroterrorism weapon. In a statement it said that the fungus causes "head blight" in some crops and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses globally each year.
According to an FBI criminal complaint, Zunyong Liu, 34, a researcher currently in China, brought the fungus into the United States while visiting his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, 33, in July 2024.
He admitted to smuggling in the fungus so he could conduct research on it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend worked, according to the complaint.
The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the complaint, an examination of electronic communications between the two indicated that they discussed shipping biological materials and research being done in the laboratory prior to Liu's arrival.
Jian and Liu were accused in the complaint of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements and visa fraud.
Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said the pair's actions "posed an imminent threat to public safety."
Jian was expected to appear in court in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday. A judge appointed a public defender, who could not be immediately reached for comment, to represent Jian. —Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
an hour ago
- GMA Network
Suspected underwater drone recovered off Pangasinan waters
An alleged underwater drone has been recovered by local fishermen off Bolinao, Pangasinan waters, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday. In a statement, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said the suspected underwater drone was obtained 149 nautical miles northwest off Bolinao on Wednesday. 'On August 6, 2025, while engaged in fishing approximately 149 nautical miles northwest off Bolinao, Pangasinan, the fishermen observed a floating orange object believed to be an underwater drone,' Tarriela said. He said the fishermen, upon returning to port, reported the sighting of the object to the Coast Guard Substation Infanta and submitted a notarized affidavit detailing their discovery. The suspected underwater drone measures around 160 centimeters in length and 20 inches in width and weighs around 100 kilograms, according to Tarriela. LOOK: A suspected underwater drone was recovered by local fishermen in Bolinao, Pangasinan waters on Wednesday, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said Friday. Photo: PCG @gmanews — Joviland Rita (@jovilandxrita) August 7, 2025 He said the suspected underwater drone was surrendered to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and analysis. As of May, at least six underwater drones have been found in Philippine waters. Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad earlier said that China possibly deployed some of the recovered submersible drones. 'There is a 55 to 80% likelihood that these were deployed by the Chinese Communist Party,' he said. According to Trinidad, the Philippine Navy has the results for the submersible drones found in Ilocos Norte, Calayan Island, and Misamis Oriental. Many components of these items were made in China. National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya called the development 'alarming,' as the underwater drones were used for intelligence purposes. 'These are alarming because, as mentioned by [National Maritime Council spokesperson Undersecretary Alexander Lopez], these are used for intelligence purposes,' Malaya said. 'So this really shows the extent of the operations in the Philippines. We have arrested several, more than 10 agents, Chinese agents in the Philippines, doing different types of espionage activities. And now we have this equipment being used also for intelligence,' he added. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 hours ago
- GMA Network
Thailand and Cambodia agree to extend peace pact
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Thursday to extend a shaky ceasefire deal that followed five days of deadly hostilities along their border last month. At least 43 people were killed in the conflict that ended on Tuesday last week after a long-standing dispute over border temples erupted into violence. A truce was brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim -- chair of the ASEAN regional bloc -- after cajoling by US President Donald Trump and a team of Chinese mediators. The deal dictated a ceasefire, followed by a meeting of rival regional commanders, before defence officials held three days of talks in Kuala Lumpur that concluded with a joint statement on Thursday. "Both sides agree to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians and civilian objects and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas," it said. "This agreement must not be violated under any circumstances." Both Thailand and Cambodia accused each other during the first days of the truce of breaching the deal, with limited skirmishes along their shared 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, although clashes quickly dropped off. The joint statement signed by Thai Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit and Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha said they had agreed to continue a freeze on border troop movements and patrols. "We are here for a detailed ceasefire arrangement to stop bloodshed and the suffering by soldiers and civilians of both sides," Tea Seiha told reporters at a news conference. "The steps are life-saving measures and lay groundwork for restoring confidence, trust, and normalcy between our two countries." The statement scheduled another meeting within a month and said both sides would also "agree to refrain from disseminating false information or fake news in order to de-escalate tensions". "In order for our discussions today to result in concrete outcomes, both sides needed to show cooperation and sincerity," Natthaphon told reporters. 'High tension' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, describing it as "an important step forward in solidifying the ceasefire agreement". "President Trump and I expect the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to fully honor their commitments to end this conflict," Rubio said in a statement. US ambassador to Malaysia Edgard Kagan, who attended Thursday's meeting as an observer, earlier cautioned that the agreement was just one step towards lasting peace. "We have to be honest and say that there is still a very high level of tension, there's a high level of distrust," he told reporters. "We think that it is going to be important for both sides to show strong commitment at the highest levels, and that it is messaged clearly down to the soldiers and policemen who are on the border," Kagan said. The contested temples are claimed by both nations because of a vague demarcation made by Cambodia's French colonial administrators in 1907. Last month's clashes were the deadliest in the region in more than a decade and forced more than 300,000 people to flee combat areas on both sides of the border. —Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
Tougher SEA transshipment fines not expected immediately amid Trump tariffs —sources
Manufacturers in Southeast Asia, which rely heavily on Chinese components, have been in the dark for months on what Washington would consider transshipment. REUTERS/ Athit Perawongmetha/ File photo HANOI/BANGKOK — Tougher US trade penalties on goods originating in one country being re-shipped from another are not expected to immediately follow new US tariffs, three people in Southeast Asia with knowledge of the matter said, easing a major cause of concern. Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam and Thailand have been explicitly targeted by White House officials for their alleged role in facilitating the so-called transshipment to America of Chinese goods, which would face higher tariffs if shipped directly from China. The Trump administration imposed tariffs on goods from dozens of countries from Thursday, and in an executive order said products determined to have been illegally rerouted to conceal their country of origin would face additional duties of 40%. But it did not clarify what constitutes transshipment. US imports from Southeast Asia's biggest economies, which rely heavily on exports, are now subject to tariff rates of about 19%, most of those significantly reduced from earlier threatened rates. Existing US customs guidance states goods from countries with no free trade agreements with Washington, such as Southeast Asian nations, can be labelled as made in the country where they undergo a "substantial transformation" of components, even if those parts entirely come from another country, such as China. And with no new US guidance on rules of origin or specification on what transshipment means, some officials in Southeast Asia have told exporters existing rules apply. That effectively limits cases of transshipment to illegal activities, like the use of forged export certificates or documents obtained illicitly. "Currently, all exported goods [from Thailand] are subject to a 19% rate because there are no rules on transshipment yet," Arada Fuangtong, head of the Thai Commerce Ministry's foreign trade department, told Reuters on Thursday. Her message was echoed by US officials in Vietnam who told businessmen the tariff of 20% would apply to Vietnamese goods, even if they are entirely made with Chinese components and only assembled in Vietnam, according to one person familiar with those talks. Trade consultants have said rules are vague and they have advised clients, even before the new wave of US tariffs, to have at least 40% of local content for their exports to the US That is "to be on the safe side," one of them said. The US embassy in Vietnam did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The Office of the US Trade Representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside US working hours. "Goods defined by US customs as transshipped are subject to 40% duties, but pending any new definition, that's limited to old definitions," said a Vietnam-based consultant. Both people declined to be named in order to speak more freely. China dependence According to the US customs guidance, repackaging does not usually cause a "substantial transformation," but assembly may, depending on the complexity of the operations. It is unclear if this narrow interpretation of transshipment could be enforced in other countries. Economic ministries in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the issue. Manufacturers in Southeast Asia, which rely heavily on Chinese components, have been in the dark for months on what Washington would consider transshipment. Questions remain over whether that would include goods with a large, but yet undefined, share of components or raw materials from China, even when they are legitimately transformed in Southeast Asian nations. A strict definition of transshipment may come later, multiple investment consultants warned. An executive order signed by US President Donald Trump last week said the US will "publish every six months a list of countries and specific facilities used in circumvention schemes." That will "inform public procurement, national security reviews, and commercial due diligence," it said. "The message from Washington is deterrence," said Marco Forster, director for Southeast Asia at investment consultancy Dezan Shira and Associates. "If your supply chain cuts corners, it won't be treated as a technical error. It'll be treated as fraud." — Reuters
