Will Chinese scientist Jian Yunqing's arrest risk further US talent exodus?
biological pathogen that could kill crops was 'politicised' by the US government and could speed up an exodus of Chinese talent from the country, according to some researchers.
Advertisement
According to a press release from the US Department of Justice on Tuesday, Jian Yunqing, 33, and her boyfriend,
Liu Zunyong , 34, allegedly attempted to smuggle the fungus pathogen Fusarium graminearum into the country.
Jian, a research fellow at the University of Michigan, was arrested in connection with the allegations against Liu.
'I personally think this incident has been politicised,' said a Chinese scientist conducting agricultural research at a leading US university.
The researcher, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, added that it would further damage
US–China collaboration in agriculture and other areas, potentially encouraging more Chinese researchers to return home.
Advertisement
China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it did not have any information on the matter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump-led Texas redistricting gambit ignites national arms race to control US Congress
The escalating political fight over the Texas congressional map is spreading across other states across the country, triggering an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting arms race with the balance of power in Washington at stake. At President Donald Trump's urging, Texas Republicans have proposed new congressional districts aimed at flipping five Democrat-held US House seats in next year's midterm elections, further skewing what is already considered a deeply partisan map in that state. In response, Democratic governors elsewhere – most notably Gavin Newsom of California, the only state with more congressional districts than Texas – have threatened to retaliate by mounting their own redistricting efforts. 'Donald Trump is a cheater, and so is Governor Greg Abbott,' JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, told reporters on Tuesday. Standing alongside him were several of the Democratic lawmakers from Texas who fled their home state on Monday to deny Republicans a quorum and prevent a vote on the proposed new map. 'As far as I'm concerned, everything is on the table,' Pritzker said.\ Illinois Governor JB Pritzker speaks during a news conference held by Texas Democratic lawmakers in Aurora, Illinois, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters Democrats need to flip only three Republican-held seats to retake the majority in the 435-seat House next year, so even modest gains for either party via redistricting could prove decisive. If Democrats win the House, they could stymie much of Trump's legislative agenda and pursue multiple investigations into his administration.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump narrows Fed chair candidates to 4, excluding Treasury Secretary Bessent
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has whittled down his list of potential Federal Reserve chair candidates to four as he considers a successor to Jerome Powell – a choice that could reset the path of the US economy. Asked on CNBC's Squawk Box for a future replacement for Powell, Trump named Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Kevin Warsh, a former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. 'I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins, are very good,' Trump said. He said two other people were also under consideration, but US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not among them. 'I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is,' Trump said. He did not name his other two top candidates but used the opportunity to disparage Powell, whom he has dubbed 'too late' in cutting interest rates. 01:21 Trump and US central bank chief bicker over bank renovation costs Trump and US central bank chief bicker over bank renovation costs The news that Trump plans to make a decision on the Fed chair 'soon' comes as the Republican president has been highly critical of Powell, whose term ends in May 2026.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
For the US, it's Mountain Pass – or fail – in bid to supplant China's rare earth supremacy
Rare earths are needed for everything from consumer electronics to electric vehicles, wind turbines and fighter jets – and China controls the supply chain. In the second of a four-part series, we look at how China gradually took a commanding role in the rare earth industry, and how the US is now working to strengthen its sources and production. Advertisement Nearly a half-century removed from being the world's dominant supplier of rare earth elements, California's Mountain Pass mine is once again being tasked with unearthing a veritable treasure trove of metals and minerals that the United States hopes will help bridge a supply gulf with China in an increasingly critical industry. Splashing out hundreds of millions of dollars, the US Department of Defence is digging deep into the public coffers to bring back the mine, which has had a rocky history. After being shut down in 2002 due to environmental concerns, Mountain Pass was reawakened during the early days of former president Barack Obama's administration when the privately held Molycorp Minerals was formed to revive it. It was an ambitious undertaking, with approximately US$1.5 billion invested to reinstate production and give the US a competitive boost in the rare earth supply chain. But the effort ground to a halt in 2015 when the company went bankrupt. Advertisement In the decade since, Washington has slowly woken up to the reality of Beijing's chokehold on rare earths and watched as that dominant position has become China's biggest bargaining chip in the two sides' protracted trade war. The administration of US President Donald Trump has tried, with increased urgency, to get to the core of the problem by accelerating attempts to reduce America's deep reliance on China for the raw materials that are used in everything from military weapons and semiconductors to electric vehicles and wind turbines.
