Several congressional committees launched a sweeping probe into University of Michigan professors and research labs tied to two Chinese citizens charged with smuggling a “potential agroterrorism” fungus into the U.S., National Review has exclusively learned.
Those professors have received approximately $9.6 million in federal research funding since 2010 and previously held concurrent positions with universities in China and the U.S., the lawmakers wrote in lengthy letters launching the probes, which also examine the federal grant making process, earlier on Wednesday.
Congressional investigators also found that Zunyong Liu, one of the two Chinese researchers charged earlier this month on smuggling charges, is listed as an affiliate of a Chinese-government-sponsored research talent pipeline program.
Liu received funding from a Chinese province to conduct research on the fungus this year, they alleged. While Yunqing Jian, his co-defendant and girlfriend, was arrested this month, Liu is understood to be at large in China.
The letters, which were obtained by NR, went out to the University of Michigan, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.
“Taxpayer dollars should never fund research tied to the Chinese Communist Party — especially involving dangerous biological materials. These arrests reveal alarming gaps in oversight. We’re calling on NIH, NSF, and the University of Michigan to act swiftly to protect our labs and our national security,” a spokesperson for the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party told National Review.
In addition to the China committee, which is helmed by Representative John Moolenaar, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology are also leading the probe. The chairmen of those panels are Representatives Tim Walberg and Brian Stone.
The 25 all-GOP signatories of the letters also included Representatives Elise Stefanik, Neal Dunn, and Virginia Foxx.
A University of Michigan spokesperson told NR that it plans to answer the the lawmakers posed in their letter to the school.
Liu and Jian were charged in Michigan earlier this month on charges of smuggling in a toxic, crop-killing fungus called Fusarium graminearum. That prompted widespread concern about university research security lapses.
In court filings, the Justice Department referred to academic literature that says the fungus causes a crop disease that afflicts wheat, barley, maize, and corn, causing billions of dollars worth of economic losses annually, and the FBI cited academic literature labeling it a “potential agroterrorism weapon.”
The arrests followed the Trump administration’s announcement that it would “aggressively revoke” visas issued to Chinese students linked to the CCP and studying in critical technology fields, a stance that President Trump later walked back amid trade negotiations with China.
Liu and Jian have both recently held affiliations with the University of Michigan’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory, according to the letters.
Their connection to the university is noteworthy considering their previous interactions with Chinese academic institutions tied to Beijing’s military-civil fusion system, which leverages research with potential civilian uses for defense applications.
The defendants previously held roles at the State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and the Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects at Zhejiang University, the lawmakers found.
The House members wrote that that Zhejiang University is overseen by the State Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), a Chinese government office involved in Beijing’s military-civil fusion programs.
In addition to his role as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan molecular lab, Liu is also listed as a researcher supported by China’s “Hundred Talents Program” on Zhejiang University’s website, according to the letters.
“The Hundred Talents Program is a Chinese government-sponsored talent recruitment initiative that, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ‘focuses on attracting a younger talent pool’ of individuals who ‘demonstrate internationally-recognized expertise,’” the letter states.
The Chinese government’s talent programs have been at the center of concern about Beijing’s theft of American research and intellectual property at American universities.
The letter also states that Liu has received funding from other Chinese government programs, including a grant from Zhejiang province’s government this year to continue his work on Fusarium.
The lawmakers are investigating the research of University of Michigan professors Libo Shan and Ping He, who they said lead the lab and supervised the defendants and are listed as co-authors of papers with Liu. Neither of the professors immediately responded to National Review’s request for comment on Wednesday evening.
NSF and NIH records indicate that the two academics have received a total of $9.6 million in federal grants since 2010, according to the lawmakers.
“It is our position that Chinese researchers tied to the PRC defense research and industrial base have no business participating in U.S. taxpayer-funded research with clear national security implications — especially those related to dangerous biological materials,” their letter stated.
The congressional committees raised Jian’s alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party, pointing to her receipt of an award for “Outstanding Graduate Student for both her scientific achievements and Party membership.” The Justice Department alleged that she is a “loyal” member of the Party this month.
Days after the initial charges against Liu and Jian were brought, federal agents charged a third Chinese national, Chengxuan Han, for allegedly smuggling round worms into the U.S. for use by recipients at the University of Michigan in what appears to be a separate case.
Han is party secretary of a CCP branch for students at Huazhong University of Science in Technology, which, like Zhejiang University, is administered by SASTIND, according to the House members’ letter.
Overall, the lawmakers warned: “These incidents highlight potential cases of non-compliance and other gaps within the U.S. research security enterprise — despite years of federal action.”
They asked the University of Michigan to provide information on lab security measures and various activities in which the professors and the postdoc researchers have been charged by July 2. They also asked the NSF and NIH to conduct a “full review” of grants related to the molecular lab.
“As one of the world’s leading public research institutions, the University of Michigan is dedicated to advancing knowledge, solving critical and consequential problems and improving nearly every facet of the human experience,” Colleen Mastony, the university’s assistant vice president for public affairs, said in a statement.
“We condemn any actions that violate federal law, threaten national security, or otherwise undermine the university’s critical public mission. We will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution. We are working to answer the questions raised in today’s letter from members of Congress. And we will continue to take institution-wide actions to ensure that our vital research enterprise complies with both university policy and federal law,” she continued.
A spokesperson for the NSF told NR that the agency is “in receipt of the Chairman’s letter and will respond to it directly.” The NIH did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday evening.
Earlier this year, the University of Michigan told the House China committee that it would shutter a longstanding partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, after the panel warned that the joint program was a vector for research security risks.