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New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Chinese researcher in alleged plot to smuggle crop-killing fungus into US will remain in custody while seeking private counsel
The Chinese researcher accused of helping smuggle a potentially devastating crop-killing fungus into the US will remain in custody until she retains private counsel, according to reports. Yunqing Jian, 33, appeared in a Detroit courtroom for a detention hearing Thursday afternoon, where a public defender assigned to her case asked the court to reconvene once Jian can hire her own lawyer. The judge consented and scheduled a new detention hearing for June 13. Jian, a Chinese national and researcher at the University of Michigan, will remain in custody until then, CBS News reported. Yunqing Jian, 33, is seeking private counsel after being assigned a public defender. Sanilac County Jail She was arrested on June 3, nearly a year after her boyfriend — 34-year-old Zunyong Liu — was stopped by Customs and Border Patrol after arriving at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a plane from Shanghai last July. Liu was found to be carrying samples of Fusarium graminearum, a fungus with the potential to wreak havoc on American crops and farming if successfully manipulated to resist treatment. The danger could be so great that one Trump administration official characterized it as 'an attack on the American food supply' while speaking with The Post. Jian was working as a lab researcher at the University of Michigan through funding provided by the Chinese government last summer when her beau — himself a researcher at a Chinese university — was caught trying to enter the country with the samples on the way to visit her. Liu initially tried to hide the samples and then denied they were his, but eventually fessed up and told officials that he wanted to study them at the University of Michigan lab where his girlfriend did similar work. Jiang was arrested on June 3, nearly a year after her husband was barred from the US On his phone, agents found a PDF article about 'Plant-Pathogen Warfare' that described Fusarium graminearum as 'an example of a destructive disease and pathogen for crops' that is 'responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.' He was barred from entering the country and put on a plane back to China. Jian was interviewed by the FBI about the incident at a University of Michigan lab in February, and told investigators that she first learned about her boyfriend's plan when he was stopped at the airport. But searches into her communications with Liu showed the pair had discussed sneaking samples of fungus and seeds past US Customs since at least 2022 — and that in 2024 Jian signed a document pledging 'support the leadership of the Communist Party of China' and to uphold 'Mao Zedong thought and Marxism-Leninism' in January 2024 before her boyfriend's encounter in Detroit. Both were charged with conspiring to smuggle a potentially dangerous fungal pathogen into the US, while Liu remains at large with a warrant out for his arrest. Fusarium graminearum already exists in the US, and while it's responsible for an estimated loss of $200-400 million worth of US agriculture per year, Rutgers University molecular biologist Dr. Richard Ebright told The Post it could pose a critical risk to US food supplies if it were modified for resistance or virulence.
American Military News
3 days ago
- Health
- American Military News
Chinese nationals tried smuggling 'dangerous' pathogen into US, officials say
Federal law enforcement officials announced on Tuesday that two Chinese nationals were being charged for attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen classified as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the United States while working at the University of Michigan. In a Tuesday press release, the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said the Chinese nationals, identified as 33-year-old Yunqing Jian and 34-year-old Zunyong Liu, were charged for smuggling goods into the United States, conspiracy, visa fraud, and making false statements. According to the press release, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Jian over allegations that the two Chinese nationals had smuggled a fungus called Fusarium graminearum into the United States. Officials noted that the biological pathogen is classified as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon.' 'This noxious fungus causes 'head blight,' a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,' the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan stated. 'Fusarium graminearum's toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.' READ MORE: China targeting US military members for spy operations, fmr. CIA chief warns In a post on X, formerly Twitter, FBI Director Kash Patel described the case as a 'sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.' Tuesday's press release claimed that Jian's work on the biological pathogen in China was funded by the Chinese government and that the Chinese national's electronics provided evidence of her 'membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. Officials also claimed that Liu, who researches the same pathogen at a Chinese university, lied and then admitted that he smuggled Fusarium graminearum into the country through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to conduct additional research on the pathogen at the University of Michigan. 'The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns,' U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. said. 'These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.'
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Exclusive: San Francisco Zoo board member resigns over lack of action on CEO
A San Francisco Zoo board member resigned Friday over concerns about the body's indecision on whether to stand behind — or remove — its controversial CEO. Matthew Miller stepped down from the board of the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society, which runs the city-owned zoo, citing its inability to take action on the continued employment of Tanya Peterson, the zoo's executive director and CEO, two sources familiar with the development said. Miller, an attorney, headed the board's risk committee. The board met for several hours on Tuesday at noon and Thursday at 4 p.m., said Corey Hallman of Teamsters Local 856, the representative of the zoo's nearly 100-member union. On May 8, Hallman told the Chronicle that the board was scheduled to deliberate on whether to remove Peterson, its leader for almost 17 years. Zoo spokesperson Sam Singer said that Peterson could not comment on board matters. 'However, she does look forward to moving the San Francisco Zoo forward and welcoming the giant pandas in 2026,' he said in a statement. The meetings come after a power struggle between zoo board chair Melinda Dunn and Peterson surfaced last week, when the Chronicle reported that Dunn had endorsed a plan to gather letters from zoo employees urging Peterson's removal. Peterson responded by revealing she had feuded with Dunn over whether Dunn remained board chair. Peterson said that she had accepted a resignation letter from Dunn, but that Dunn subsequently rescinded it. The debate over Peterson's leadership comes at a critical time for the zoo, which is working with the Chinese government to host a pair of prized giant pandas by early next year — plans that have garnered international attention and support from San Francisco's City Hall. Bill Lee, a former city administrator, is among the dozens of people and groups representing the Chinese community on San Francisco's west side who have signed onto a letter urging the zoo to prioritize hosting pandas as a 'once-in-a-generation moment.' Lee said he and others decided to gather the signatures now because of concerns about the potential change in leadership. He worried that the zoo would lose a key fundraiser if the board removed Peterson. 'They all know if Tanya goes the panda will probably go,' said Lee, who said he traveled to China with Peterson many years ago when the city first explored the idea of hosting pandas. 'She's the only one who has knowledge of it.' Hallman said that he had seen 20 letters from current and former employees as well as community members sent to the zoo board over the past week, urging it to remove Peterson. The debate over zoo leadership caps off a period of protracted controversy at the zoo, in which the San Francisco Zoological Society conducted an investigation into Peterson's leadership and the Board of Supervisors launched an audit of the zoo. Both investigations followed Chronicle reporting in April 2024 on allegations of problems with worker safety and animal welfare at the facility, including a brief chase of a keeper by a grizzly bear in 2023. In addition, the zoo's union issued a vote of no-confidence in Peterson in April 2024, and the city's Animal Control and Welfare Commission released a report — strongly disputed by the zoo — that called the institution 'unsafe for visitors and animals' in October. Attendance at the zoo was down by 11% since September, likely because of negative publicity from the report, zoo chief financial officer Jeff Pace said in April. 'When there's a report that says that the zoo is dangerous to children and people and animals and staff, it drives down attendance,' he said at a public meeting. On Monday, a coalition of animal rights activist groups, led by In Defense of Animals, urged the zoo board to remove Peterson, to stop the project to bring pandas to the zoo and to turn the zoo into a 'compassionate, rescue-focused ecopark.'
Korea Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korean port cranes emerge as bargaining chip in US tariff talks
HD Hyundai, Doosan Enerbility, and HJ Heavy Industries gain traction as US seeks alternatives to Chinese port cranes Port cranes have surfaced as Korea's next bargaining chip in tariff negotiations with the United States in the wake of the Trump administration's efforts to phase out made-in-China cranes at US ports. The US Trade Representative announced a plan last month to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on ship-to-shore, or STS, cranes and cargo handling equipment made in China or built using Chinese parts, emphasizing the need to reduce America's reliance on Chinese maritime infrastructure and address national security concerns. According to a report by the US Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry, or ZPMC, the world's largest STS crane manufacturer, run by the Chinese government, accounts for almost 80 percent of the STS cranes used at US ports. The report added that there were no domestic manufacturing alternatives for STS cranes in the US. The US has openly mentioned Korea's shipbuilding sector as an area where it seeks cooperation while it continues to push for the revitalization of its own shipbuilding industry. On top of the shipbuilding sector, Korea is poised to support the Trump administration's 'Make America Great Again' agenda with US domestic port crane manufacturers. To this end, HD Hyundai, which operates the world's largest single shipyard at its HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan site and boasts significant crane manufacturing capacity, has emerged as a key player. HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun discussed affiliate HD Hyundai Samho's crane manufacturing capabilities with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Korea's Jeju Island last week. According to HD Hyundai, Chung specifically talked about the dominance of Chinese port cranes in the US and proposed strengthening cooperation between Korea and the US to expand related supply chains in the US. 'The US certainly appears to be interested in Korea's crane manufacturing capabilities,' said an industry official. 'We think there is a good chance of port cranes being on the table for the tariff negotiations.' In addition to the STS cranes, HD Hyundai Samho is capable of producing rubber-tired and rail-mounted gantry cranes. The crane manufacturer has scored a series of crane orders at Korean ports, including a 179.6 billion won ($129.5 million) deal in Busan last year and a 206 billion won contract in Gwangyang this year. HD Hyundai Samho, which accounted for about 3.6 percent of the global port crane market share in 2023, is considering expanding production capacities in the future to bolster its global presence. Doosan Enerbility has been ramping up its port crane business activities in Vietnam through its local office, Doosan Vina. As of May last year, Doosan Vina had produced 132 cranes for various port operators in India, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. HJ Heavy Industries scored a 187 billion won contract to supply 34 cranes to the Busan New Port last year. The shipbuilder and crane manufacturer is also exploring entry into the US market. Industry watchers have raised the possibility of Korean companies setting up a complete knockdown, or CKD, site in the US to deliver unassembled parts and make the final product there, as establishing a new manufacturing plant in the US might be too costly in the beginning. Paceco, a US subsidiary of Japanese manufacturing conglomerate Mitsui E&S, secured an order to supply eight cranes for the Port of Long Beach in California last year.
7NEWS
24-04-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Embattled Liberal candidate for Bennelong Scott Yung under fire for alleged Beijing connections
The Liberal candidate for Bennelong opened a business dinner backed by an 'overseas Chinese liaison station' — which was part of a global network bankrolled by the Chinese government and previously led by a rising figure credited for supporting Beijing's territorial claim over Taiwan. can reveal Liberal candidate Scott Yung addressed the opening ceremony of the 2024 Asian Business Leaders Charity Gala as a representative of federal opposition leader Peter Dutton. The November event was co-backed by the Anhui Association of Sydney — an organisation that, according to budget documents retrieved by has received thousands of dollars in Chinese government funding. Chinese officials selected it to operate as an 'overseas Chinese liaison station' in 2016 on the principle of 'Four Emphases and Four Benefits' — including 'leveraging overseas Chinese resources to serve Anhui's 13th Five-Year Plan's international cooperation projects.' The liaison stations were 'fully leveraging the resource advantages of overseas Chinese in talent, technology, and capital' and would 'strive to closely integrate overseas Chinese affairs with the province's economic and social development,' the director of the Anhui Provincial Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office said a month later. Budget documents from Anhui's Foreign Affairs Office show the Anhui Association of Sydney was one of 14 overseas Chinese groups each awarded more than $6000 in a second round of 'overseas Chinese liaison station' selections. 'The total annual dedicated fund will amount to RMB 1,000,000,' the provincial government said of its program, equivalent to over $200,000. The Anhui Association of Sydney has received Chinese Communist Party united front delegations as recently as August 2023 when the vice chairman of the Anhui Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese visited. 'United Front Work is an important magic weapon for the victory of the party's cause,' Chinese president Xi Jinping said in 2017. 7NEWS does not suggest that the Anhui Association of Sydney, its former chairman, or any other of its associates have committed foreign interference or otherwise acted illegally. It is legal in Australia to act on behalf of a foreign government if those actions are not covert, deceptive, threatening to cause harm or demanding with menace. The news that Yung opened the dinner backed by the association designated as an 'overseas Chinese liaison station' comes three weeks after Liberal campaign spokesperson and Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson said the prime minister had 'all sort [sic] of serious questions' to answer after The Australian reported that he dined with the vice-president of a United Front group at a Labor fundraiser. 'Xi Jinping has described United Front Work Department as China's magic weapon… Now, people might have got away with making mistakes like this five or even 10 years ago, in a more innocent or naive time, but we have learnt a lot since then,' Senator Paterson told Sky News at the time. In 2018, the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department devoted an entire webpage to the man who formerly chaired the Anhui Association of Sydney, crediting him for his joint 'significant contributions' including to 'safeguarding China's peaceful reunification' — a reference to Beijing's territorial claim over Taiwan. In January 2024, he was reportedly invited as an overseas delegate to the Anhui Provincial People's Political Consultative Conference — the top Chinese Communist Party advisory body to the province's party leadership. He has also reportedly served on the overseas committee of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, which is directly overseen by the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department. The gala night at which Yung spoke, held at the Hilton Sydney, reportedly raised $8000 for Cancer Council NSW. 'The [Opposition] Leader's office was aware of Mr Yung's participation in this Chinese community event, which brought together a large number of local business and community groups to raise funds for the Cancer Council NSW,' a spokesperson for the Liberal Party said. 'Attendance at this event had nothing to do with any policy issues, and Scott's attendance was not an expression of anything other than support for local community organisations and the fight against cancer. 'Scott supports Australia's longstanding and bipartisan one-China policy and opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo in relation to Taiwan.' 7NEWS sought comment from the Anhui Association of Sydney.
