This is CBS, I on the World. I'm John Batchel. Gordon Chang at Gordon G. Chang joins me as my

colleague and co-host, and we're very pleased to welcome our colleague, Rick Fisher, of the

International Assessment and Strategy Center, to help us with a story that begins with a press

release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan.

Detroit.

Young Ching Jan, 33, and Zun Yang Lu, 34, citizens of the People's Republic of China, were

charged, goes the press release, in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States,

false statements, and visa fraud, announced the United States Attorney Jerome F. Corgan, Jr.

Rick, a very good evening to you. Smuggling, a very heavy charge. Smuggling what from China?

Good evening to you. Good evening, John. Good evening, Gordon. Yes.

These two Chinese citizens were caught smuggling samples of fussarium, Graminarium, a known fungus that

damages, destroys crops, especially wheat crops, and if ingested, can cause vomiting.

This is a disturbing incident.

Mr. Liu, according to the FBI, on his phone, had articles about biological warfare and this particular virus, this fungus.

China has a long history of engaging in biological warfare research, and that these two

would be so bold as to conduct this research at a University of Michigan

laboratory is quite alarming. Gordon, I have a question for Rick. Rick, I believe that this is not

an isolated incident. In 2020, Americans in all 50 states received unsolicited seeds from China.

This year, Timo, the online retailer, Chinese online retailer, sent seeds to Americans unsolicited.

I think that those are attempts to plant invasive species in the U.S.

In other words, that's an attack on American agriculture.

Bringing in this fungus looks like it could also have been part of a biological weapons attack on the U.S.

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