ANALYSIS: National security experts, politicians call for further action
Chinese nationals connected to the University of Michigan have been federally charged with lying to law enforcement about taking photos near a military base, illegally voting in the 2024 presidential election, and smuggling in dangerous biological materials into the country in just the past year alone.
The incidents have drawn scrutiny from a national security expert, current and former Michigan congressmen, as well as the State Department.
“The alarming incidents involving Chinese researchers connected to the University of Michigan warrant further investigation by university officials and the federal law enforcement and national security communities,” Dan Lips told The College Fix via email. He is a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and worked for the FBI.
Recent charges include a “visiting scholar” to the University of Michigan accused of bringing in “biological material related to round worm” into the country. The scholar, Chengxuan Han, recently agreed to remain in jail pending the charges.
At the same time, University of Michigan researcher Yungqing Jian, also agreed to stay in jail pending charges that she smuggled in a crop fungus which is considered an “agroterrorism weapon.” Jian’s boyfriend also faces federal charges.
There is precedent for the Chinese Communist Party targeting American universities, Lips said.
“Past federal investigations have revealed a concerted strategy by the Chinese Communist Party to exploit the openness of American higher education and to recruit researchers to advance Beijing’s aims,” Lips, a former staffer on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, said via email.
He said “the Trump administration and Congress should increase transparency about foreign influence in higher education, including by tightening financial disclosure rules and enforcement, and strengthen vetting of foreign researchers.”
The State Department said it is vetting Chinese nationals more closely, in response to a question about the smuggling charges as well as two other incidents. One involves Chinese national students who came to the University of Michigan through the school’s partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
They were accused of lying to law enforcement after they were found taking photos of a military base in Michigan hundreds of miles from campus in Aug. 2023. The school has since ended the partnership with the Chinese university. The College Fix reached out to two of the accused students, Zunyong Liu and Yi Liang, but neither responded.
A University of Michigan Chinese national also illegally voted in the 2024 election and subsequently fled the United States.
The Fix reached out to the State Department about these three incidents and about how student visa applications are reviewed.
It said it will “not comment on ongoing investigations.” However, “the United States is putting America first by working with the Department of Homeland Security to begin revoking visas of Chinese students as warranted.”
This includes “those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or studying in critical fields and enhancing scrutiny of visas for all Chinese nationals, including Hong Kong passport holders.”
‘American universities must be more vigilant,’ congressman says
Chinese Communist Party infiltration, particularly the charges for smuggling in the crop fungus, drew concerns from a Michigan congressman.
“American universities must be more vigilant when it comes to research security and the participation of Chinese nationals in these institutions,” Congressman John Moolenaar, a Republican, previously said.
Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on the CCP, also released reports about potentially problematic relationships between China and the United States. Communications Director Jacob Huner told The Fix he would provide comments about the University of Michigan situation but never did.
Former Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers has also called for a probe into the university and potential ties to Chinese espionage, as first reported by The Daily Caller.
The university released a statement on June 10 saying it is “fully cooperating” on the recent charges brought against its researchers and is “reexamining internal protocols to determine how to improve training and provide additional guidance.”
The statement came from Professor Arthur Lupia, a political scientist and the interim vice president for research and innovation.
The Fix emailed Professor Lupia on June 18 to ask for an update on the statement, his thoughts on why Chinese nationals appear to be targeting the university, and if he would support a pause or increased vetting of Chinese students.
A representative redirected The Fix to the school’s public affairs team which did not address the questions asked. Instead, spokesman Brian Taylor sent the original June 10 statement. He did not respond to a follow-up request for information.
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IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: The Chinese flag; Daniel V. Fung/Getty Images