Will Chinese scientist Jian Yunqing’s arrest risk further US talent exodus?

The arrest of a Chinese researcher in the United States for allegedly importing an illegal biological pathogen that could kill crops was “politicised” by the US government and could speed up an exodus of Chinese talent from the country, according to some researchers. According to a press release from the US Department of Justice on Tuesday, Jian Yunqing, 33, and her boyfriend, Liu Zunyong, 34, allegedly attempted to smuggle the fungus pathogen Fusarium graminearum into the country. Jian, a research fellow at the University of Michigan, was arrested in connection with the allegations against Liu. “I personally think this incident has been politicised,” said a Chinese scientist conducting agricultural research at a leading US university. The researcher, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, added that it would further damage US–China collaboration in agriculture and other areas, potentially encouraging more Chinese researchers to return home. China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it did not have any information on the matter. “I am not aware of the situation,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Lin Jian, adding that the Chinese government consistently asked Chinese nationals overseas to comply with local laws and regulations while safeguarding their legitimate and lawful rights and interests. Fusarium graminearum can cause Fusarium head blight, a devastating disease in wheat and barley. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified the pathogen as “a potential agroterrorism weapon” responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year and could cause vomiting, liver damage and reproductive defects in humans and livestock. Liu landed in the US at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in July last year when border officers found the pathogen in his backpack, according to the complaint. Liu had initially claimed he had been unaware of the dangers of the samples, but later admitted he planned to have the material used for research at a lab at the university. Jian has appeared in court and was remanded in custody ahead of a bail hearing on Thursday. A scientist at a Chinese university who has extensively studied Fusarium graminearum said the allegation was “deliberately using sensational language to make a fuss” by highlighting the harm caused by the fungus. He also asked that his name not be used. He said that if a pathogen was not indigenous and its introduction could lead to widespread infection and disease in crops, then this type of organism would be strictly prohibited from entering and would be classified as a quarantine pathogen – but Fusarium graminearum did not fall into that category. “It is a globally prevalent pathogen. Arguably, there is nowhere in the world that does not have it,” he said. While the pathogen posed a threat to crops such as wheat, it had been present in fields for a long time and was not highly contagious, he added. Indeed, the pathogen has been found across the US and has been studied extensively there for decades, with ample literature published. According to scientists, the University of Michigan does not rely on “smuggling” the pathogen from China, but instead is the global hub for research on this topic and has trained many researchers in the field over the years. Jian is a research fellow at a laboratory run by Shan Libo, a professor who studies plant disease resistance and pathogen virulence, according to the university’s website. She worked at Zhejiang University in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou for several years before moving to the US and has previously collaborated with Liu. Liu was the first author of a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications in 2019 about the biosynthesis of Fusarium graminearum. Jian’s name was listed after Liu’s, and she was affiliated with the State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology at Zhejiang University, where she remained until 2023. Liu is now a professor at Zhejiang University’s Institute of Biotechnology, where his research mainly focuses on plant immunity and fungal disease control. According to the institute’s website, after obtaining his PhD from the Chinese university in 2017, he continued postdoctoral research at the university until June 2020. After training at the University of Michigan, he returned to China and joined his alma mater in May last year. His profile on Zhejiang University’s website was not accessible on Wednesday. The Chinese professor specialising in wheat disease research speculated about a possible reason for Liu’s decision to import the pathogen from China. For instance, Liu may have already genetically manipulated the samples, which the pair could have then used to build further research on. Liu’s institute has not responded to a request for comment. Experts said that it was unclear whether Liu had gone through the legal process or whether he might have violated Chinese law. Nevertheless, they noted that growing tensions between China and the US had already hindered the exchange of microbial samples and collaborative research between the two countries. They said that previously, scientists could normally send or bring non-dangerous pathogenic samples to each other, but this was now mostly no longer allowed. The latest accusations against Chinese scientists in the United States, alongside other measures, could further impact scientific research collaboration between the two countries. In April, two homes of cybersecurity expert Wang Xiaofeng were raided and he was dismissed from his position as a professor at Indiana University Bloomington.

Will Chinese scientist Jian Yunqing’s arrest risk further US talent exodus?

Arrest of researcher for alleged smuggling of ‘agroterrorism weapon’ risks further damage to US-China collaboration