The recent arrest of a Chinese researcher and charges against another for smuggling a dangerous crop-killing fungus into the United States have brought renewed attention to the threat of agro-terrorism. At the heart of the case is Fusarium graminearum, a potent plant pathogen capable of devastating cereal crops and disrupting national food supplies. US officials allege the two researchers, one of whom worked at a University of Michigan lab, intended to conduct unauthorized research on the fungus—raising fears of deliberate attempts to compromise American agriculture. The incident, unfolding amid heightened US-China tensions and trade disputes, highlights how scientific collaboration can be exploited to target a country’s most vulnerable infrastructure: its food system.
What is agro-terrorism?
Agro-terrorism is the intentional use of biological agents—such as plant pathogens, pests, or contaminants—to attack a country’s agricultural infrastructure. It targets food production systems with the aim of causing economic devastation, food insecurity, and public panic. Agro-terrorism is attractive to hostile actors because it is low-cost, difficult to detect, and capable of triggering far-reaching economic and social damage.
Why agriculture is a soft target
Agriculture-based sectors are especially vulnerable. Unlike military or financial systems, farms, food processing plants, and supply chains are less protected and widely dispersed. Biological attacks on crops or livestock can go undetected for weeks and are difficult to trace back to the perpetrators. This makes agro-terrorism a potent weapon for countries or groups seeking to destabilize a rival nation.
Fusarium graminearum: A potent agro-terrorism threat
At the center of the current controversy is Fusarium graminearum, a fungus that causes Fusarium head blight—a disease that ravages cereal crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. The fungus not only decimates yields but also produces a toxin called vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol), making the grain unsafe for human and animal consumption.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, this disease causes over $1 billion in crop losses annually in the United States alone. Vomitoxin can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever in livestock and people, further amplifying its public health impact.
The case: Chinese researchers charged
Two Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian (33) and Zunyong Liu (34), have been charged by US federal prosecutors with smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the United States—without proper permits and under false pretenses.
Jian, who works at the University of Michigan, is currently in US custody.
Liu, her boyfriend and a researcher in China, is believed to be in China and remains at large.
According to the FBI, Liu carried baggies of the fungus into the US via the Detroit airport and initially lied about them. He later admitted he intended to use them for research in a Michigan lab. Jian allegedly received Chinese government funding for similar research and has expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. described the smuggling as a “national security” concern, emphasising the CCP ties and the threat to America’s food supply.
Why this matters
Although Fusarium graminearum already exists in the US, the unauthorised import of foreign strains is dangerous. Variants may be more virulent, pesticide-resistant, or adapted to new climates—making them harder to contain. Bringing them in without the proper biosecurity controls risks new outbreaks or genetic mutations that existing defenses can’t manage.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned that this could have “grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.” He emphasised that this case illustrates how state-backed actors may attempt to infiltrate US institutions and compromise critical sectors like food security.
Wider context: US-China tensions
This incident comes amid deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing.
US-China trade talks stall after Geneva tariff truce
Trade negotiations between the United States and China have stalled, just weeks after both sides agreed in Geneva to a 90-day cooling-off period by reducing tariffs.
The agreement had seen China cut tariffs on American goods from 125% to 10%, while the U.S. proposed lowering its tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%. However, progress has faltered amid renewed tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump reignited the dispute on May 30, accusing China of “totally violating” the Geneva deal, though he did not provide specifics. “So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” he wrote on social media.
In response, China’s Commerce Ministry denied any violations and accused Washington of making “bogus charges” and taking “unreasonable” actions, including export controls on AI chips and revoking Chinese student visas.
The Trump administration has also recently announced a crackdown on Chinese student visas, citing national security threats. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese students in sensitive research fields—moves Beijing has denounced as “discriminatory.”
China, for its part, responded cautiously. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated he was unaware of the case but added that China expects its citizens to obey local laws.
