Michigan Farm News: 'A threat to our collective security' — three more Chinese researchers charged at U of M

Three more Chinese nationals connected to the University of Michigan are facing charges in connection to the alleged smuggling of biological materials at an on-campus laboratory.

The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan announced charges against Xu Bai, Fengfan Zhang, and Zhiyong Zhang earlier this month for conspiracy to smuggle biological materials into the U.S. Z. Zhang was also charged with making false statements to federal agents. 

All three men held J-1 visas to conduct research at the U of M laboratory of Xianzhong Xu, commonly referred to as the Shawn Xu laboratory. In announcing the charges, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) noted these are the latest charges in a long string of cases stemming from U of M international research activities.

“Allegedly attempting to smuggle biological materials under the guise of ‘research’ is a serious crime that threatens America’s national and agricultural security,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. 

“We will remain vigilant to threats like these from foreign nationals who would take advantage of America’s generosity to advance a malicious agenda.”

U of M investigation prompts firings

According to the criminal complaint, in 2024 and 2025, Bai and F. Zhang were the recipients of multiple shipments containing concealed biological materials related to round worms which had been sent from China to the U.S. by Chengxuan Han.

Han was pursuing a Ph.D. from a university in Wuhan, China. According to DOJ, she traveled to the U.S. to work in the laboratory at U of M in June. She recently pleaded no contest to three counts of smuggling and one count of false statements, was sentenced and then removed from the U.S.

Following Han’s arrest, U of M initiated an internal investigation into the Shawn Xu laboratory. The three defendants were fired after refusing to attend a mandatory meeting or participate in the investigation, which made them eligible for removal by the Department of Homeland Security, according to DOJ. 

According to prosecutors, the three men bought plane tickets from Detroit to China on Oct. 20, then rebooked those tickets to Oct. 15 and purchased tickets leaving for China on Oct. 16 from JFK International airport in New York. 

“The defendants did not cancel or show for their DTW flight on October 15, 2025,” DOJ wrote.

“Defendants instead traveled to New York and attempted to board the early morning JFK flight (China) on October 16. During an inspection by CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection), Z. Zhang made false statements about Han. Bai and F. Zhang told CBP officers they had received packages from Han including after her arrest or removal from the United States.”

'Pattern becomes practice'

Han’s arrest happened less than a week after a 25-page criminal complaint was filed in another smuggling incident involving two Chinese researchers at the University of Michigan’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory in Ann Arbor. 

Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu were charged with conspiracy, making false statements and visa fraud, while attempting to smuggle Fusarium graminearum — a fungus that scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon — into the U.S.

“At some point, pattern becomes practice,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said following the most recent charges.

“And, apparently, these three men are part of a long and alarming pattern of criminal activities committed by Chinese Nationals under the cover of the University of Michigan. This is a threat to our collective security. We are thankful for the vigilance of our elite federal partners — ICE HSI, FBI, and CBP — as a counterweight against this threat.”

Congressional reaction 

U of M’s investigation into the Shawn Xu lab was prompted by a letter Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar sent with House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg and House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin.

“These new charges reveal an organized network of scholars engaged in illegal activity on Michigan’s campus,” Moolenaar said.

“It is part of a broader, coordinated campaign targeting universities across the country, driven by China’s efforts to acquire American technology. University leaders should launch internal reviews to safeguard their research from China’s adversarial actions.”

Moolenaar and Walberg said they support the SAFE Research Act, which would stop federal STEM funding from going to universities or researchers that collaborate with China's military and intelligence services

“My colleagues and I appreciate the accountability we've seen from Michigan through our oversight efforts, and we will continue to use every tool we have to protect taxpayer-funded research and national security,” Moolenaar concluded.