'Sever ties with China': US expert warns of worse-than-COVID threat after fungus arrest

A leading U.S. expert on China has called for a complete severing of ties with Beijing, warning the country faces a threat “worse than COVID” if it doesn’t act fast—following the arrest of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling a toxic agricultural fungus into the U.S.

“This was an attack on the United States,” said Gordon G. Chang, a prominent analyst on Chinese Communist Party activities. Speaking to Fox News after the arrest of Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, Chang warned that the alleged plot signals something deeper: a covert, prolonged campaign by China to destabilize the U.S. from within. “The only way to stop this is to sever relations with China.”

Jian, 33, and Liu, 34, are accused of importing Fusarium graminearum, a fungus that causes “head blight”—a disease that devastates crops like wheat, rice, and maize. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the fungus is recognized in scientific literature as a potential “agroterrorism weapon,” with the capacity to trigger food shortages, economic shock, and serious health effects, including liver damage and reproductive issues.

Both individuals had previously worked on the fungus in China and allegedly conducted unauthorized research after bringing it into the U.S.

Chang said the case is more than just a biological smuggling incident—it’s part of a broader “People’s War” strategy rooted in Maoist doctrine, intended to wear down and destabilize enemies politically, economically, and psychologically.

“If we don’t defend ourselves with urgency and resolve,” Chang said, “we’re going to get hit really hard. And not just with COVID, not just with fentanyl—but perhaps with something worse.”

Federal authorities have charged Jian and Liu with conspiracy, smuggling, false statements, and visa fraud. Meanwhile, Chang’s call to re-evaluate all diplomatic and academic engagement with China underscores growing concern about biosecurity vulnerabilities and foreign infiltration in U.S. institutions.