In a chilling warning, renowned China expert Gordon G. Chang has said the United States may face “something worse than Covid” if it fails to confront growing threats from China, following the arrest of two Chinese scientists for allegedly smuggling a dangerous fungus into the country.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and her partner Zunyong Liu, 34, are accused of attempting to bring Fusarium graminearum—a highly toxic fungus known to devastate crops like wheat, barley, and maize—into the US. The fungus is considered a potential agroterrorism agent, with the US Department of Justice noting its harmful effects on both agriculture and human health, including vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive issues.

Chang, author of China Is Going to War, told Fox News that the act amounted to “waging war” on the US. “Xi Jinping is mobilizing Chinese society for war,” he warned. “If we don’t respond decisively, we could lose our country despite our strength.”

He referenced a 2019 editorial in China’s People’s Daily that spoke of a “people’s war” against the US. “It wasn’t just rhetoric,” Chang said. “It laid the ideological groundwork for real-world actions.”

Chang also recalled the mysterious mass mailing of unsolicited seeds from China to Americans in 2020 and again this year via Chinese retailer Temu, raising fears of ecological sabotage. “The only way to stop this is to sever ties with China,” Chang asserted. “People think that’s extreme, but we’re being overwhelmed—by Covid, by fentanyl, and possibly by even worse threats.”

With decades of experience in China and Hong Kong as a legal advisor, Chang’s comments come amid growing calls in Washington for stricter scrutiny of China’s activities and strategic intentions.

In a chilling warning, renowned China expert Gordon G. Chang has said the United States may face “something worse than Covid” if it fails to confront growing threats from China, following the arrest of two Chinese scientists for allegedly smuggling a dangerous fungus into the country.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and her partner Zunyong Liu, 34, are accused of attempting to bring Fusarium graminearum—a highly toxic fungus known to devastate crops like wheat, barley, and maize—into the US. The fungus is considered a potential agroterrorism agent, with the US Department of Justice noting its harmful effects on both agriculture and human health, including vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive issues.

Chang, author of China Is Going to War, told Fox News that the act amounted to “waging war” on the US. “Xi Jinping is mobilizing Chinese society for war,” he warned. “If we don’t respond decisively, we could lose our country despite our strength.”

He referenced a 2019 editorial in China’s People’s Daily that spoke of a “people’s war” against the US. “It wasn’t just rhetoric,” Chang said. “It laid the ideological groundwork for real-world actions.”

Chang also recalled the mysterious mass mailing of unsolicited seeds from China to Americans in 2020 and again this year via Chinese retailer Temu, raising fears of ecological sabotage. “The only way to stop this is to sever ties with China,” Chang asserted. “People think that’s extreme, but we’re being overwhelmed—by Covid, by fentanyl, and possibly by even worse threats.”

With decades of experience in China and Hong Kong as a legal advisor, Chang’s comments come amid growing calls in Washington for stricter scrutiny of China’s activities and strategic intentions.