'Worse than Covid': China expert warns of deadly bioweapon risk after fungal smuggling bust in US

Even after years of pandemic, there is still a debate around the origins of Covid-19 virus.

A prominent US-based China analyst has issued a stark warning, suggesting the country could face a crisis even more severe than the Covid-19 pandemic if immediate precautions are not taken. This comes shortly after two Chinese nationals were accused of smuggling a hazardous fungus into the United States.

According to federal prosecutors, Zunyong Liu (34)and his partner Yunqing Jian (33) are alleged to have conspired to illegally import Fusarium graminearum, a fungal pathogen known to cause "head blight" — a devastating disease that affects crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. The U.S. Department of Justice has noted that the fungus is identified in scientific sources as a potential agroterrorism agent, responsible for billions in agricultural losses annually. It also poses health risks to humans and animals, causing symptoms like vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive harm.

Investigators revealed that the couple had previously studied the fungus in China, raising alarms over potential biosecurity breaches.

Commenting on the case, Gordon G. Chang — a leading expert on China and a well-known author of China Is Going to War — described the smuggling as a hostile act against the United States. Speaking to Fox News, Chang emphasized that without decisive measures, such as cutting off engagement with Beijing, the U.S. could be struck by a threat "even worse" than the coronavirus outbreak. His remarks reignite long-standing suspicions about the origin of Covid-19, with some analysts still contending it may have stemmed from a laboratory in China.

Chang, who has spent nearly 20 years in China and Hong Kong, previously served as Counsel at the American law firm Paul Weiss and was a partner at Baker & McKenzie in Hong Kong.