[Source / Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

Local time on Tuesday (3rd), the US Department of Justice claimed that two Chinese students were under investigation and prosecution for smuggling toxic bacteria. On April 4th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, "I am not aware of the situation. The Chinese government always requires overseas Chinese citizens to strictly abide by local laws and regulations, while legally safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens."

On May 5th, Nikkei Asia cited US media reports stating that senior leaders of the US Department of Justice were using this case as an opportunity to discuss restarting the infamous "China Initiative" in academia. The report mentioned that it is unclear whether the original name will be retained.

The so-called "China Initiative" was launched during President Trump's first term (2018). Under the pretext of combating economic espionage and protecting intellectual property rights, this initiative harassed and persecuted Chinese experts and scholars. Institutions such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice also fabricated "Chinese academic spies" under the guise of this initiative, creating many wrongful cases. Although the plan was terminated by the Biden administration in 2022, there are signs of a resurgence in recent years, leaving behind lingering issues.

On Tuesday evening, Kash Patel, a supporter of Trump and an advocate for a tough stance against China who serves as the Director of the FBI, issued a statement, exaggerating the matter, saying, "This case warns us that China is deploying agents and researchers around the clock to infiltrate American institutions, attempting to target our food supply. This will have serious consequences... posing severe risks to the lives of American citizens and the national economy."

According to Japanese media reports, in the policy brief about Secretary of State Rubio's statement revoking Chinese student visas last week, researcher Jack Burnham from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) urged the US Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to restart the "China Initiative," seeking to expand the scope of review and prioritize the revocation of visas for individuals "suspected of involvement in intellectual property theft or associated with China's military-industrial complex."

Burnham solemnly told Nikkei Asia that the agricultural smuggling charges showed that "academia remains a potential threat channel to US national security, which is precisely what the 'China Initiative' aims to address."

He also claimed that although these charges still need to go through court proceedings, the Trump administration should start expanding its review measures for academic cooperation between Chinese and American universities, especially involving dual-use research projects.

However, US media outlets such as AP and CNN pointed out that the fungal species hyped up by the FBI as an alleged "agricultural terrorism weapon" is actually Fusarium graminearum, the main pathogen causing Fusarium head blight in wheat, barley, and other grass crops. It leads to crop yield reduction and quality degradation. Every year, it causes billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide and may cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.

At the same time, Fusarium graminearum is also the most common pathogen in the United States, widely distributed in the eastern and upper midwestern regions. The US scientific community has conducted decades of in-depth research on it, cultivating numerous researchers in this field and publishing a large number of papers.

AP reported that researchers often bring foreign plants, animals, and even fungal strains into the US for research. Studying the genes of foreign fungal strains helps scientists understand their mechanisms of heat tolerance, pesticide resistance, or mutations. Nicole Gauthier, a plant pathologist at the University of Kentucky who studies Fusarium, said, "We study variations among individual fungi, just like we study human variations."

According to Gary Bergstrom, professor emeritus of Cornell University's Integrated Plant Science Academy, the impact of diseases caused by Fusarium graminearum and the toxins it produces "fluctuates like the stock market" depending on weather conditions and other environmental factors.

Bergstrom also stated that introducing pathogens arbitrarily does carry the risk of "introducing new characteristics of a new strain into the ecosystem," and Fusarium graminearum shows significant variation across North America and globally. However, he noted that this fungus is "unlikely to be selected as a tool for agricultural terrorism."

He added to CNN, "We are concerned about organisms listed on the observation list of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that are completely absent in the US本土... This will also raise serious concerns immediately. But I wouldn't classify (Fusarium graminearum) into this category."

According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, citing scholars' concerns, the Trump administration might politicize this incident and make a big deal out of it, which would not only further damage cooperation between China and the US in agriculture and other fields but also accelerate the return of Chinese talent in the US.

A scientist from a Chinese university who has long studied Fusarium graminearum pointed out that the US side deliberately exaggerated the danger of the fungus with sensational language to create incidents.

He explained that if a pathogen is not native and could lead to widespread infection and disease after introduction, such organisms should be strictly prohibited from entering and listed as quarantine pathogens. "But Fusarium graminearum does not fall into this category."

"It is a universally present pathogen in the world; there is no place without this fungus," he added. Although Fusarium graminearum poses a threat to crops such as wheat, it has existed in farmland for a long time and is not highly contagious.

Another Chinese scientist engaged in agricultural research at a top US university bluntly stated, "Personally, I think this incident has been politicized."

These scholars emphasized to the South China Morning Post that the ongoing tension in Sino-US relations has hindered the exchange of microbial samples and cooperative research between the two countries. "Previously, scientists could usually send or carry non-hazardous pathogen samples to each other, but now this practice is mostly no longer allowed."

Spores of the Fusarium genus. US media video screenshot.

This incident occurred as the Trump administration once again targeted Chinese scholars and Chinese students. The geopolitical tensions triggered by the US have further poisoned the long-standing educational and academic cooperation between the two countries.

On May 28th local time, US Secretary of State Rubio claimed that the US would begin revoking Chinese student visas, including those "associated with the Chinese government or studying in key areas." On the same day, the US Department of State website released a statement titled "New visa policy prioritizes the US over China."

This move by the Trump administration quickly sparked strong criticism from all sectors of American society, criticized as "a new Cold War in academia." According to data from the Institute of International Education based in Washington, there were more than 277,000 Chinese citizens studying in the US during the 2023-2024 academic year.

This concern over the "return flow of Chinese scientific talent" made US media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post immediately recall "Qian Xuesen, the father of Chinese missiles," warning the Trump administration not to repeat past mistakes, as alienating global talent ultimately results in losses for the US.

In response to the US government's announcement to revoke visas for Chinese students in the US, the Chinese side has repeatedly responded sternly.

On May 28th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning pointed out when responding to related questions that the Chinese side has always believed that normal educational cooperation and academic exchanges should not be disrupted. We urge the US to effectively protect the legal rights and interests of Chinese students and students from various countries in the US.

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the US answered media questions on May 29th, stating that China firmly opposes this political and discriminatory approach by the US. This move by the US will seriously harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students in the US and further damage the US's own international image and credibility. The Chinese Embassy in the US immediately lodged a serious protest with the US side and urged the US government to correct its mistakes and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students in the US.

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512337163570856463/

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