The sibling of a college student from Ontario arrested in an FBI counter-intelligence inquiry has rejected the notion that her brother is knowingly participating in espionage activities for Beijing.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Meixuan Wang quipped, “If my brother is a Chinese spy, then I’m Trump’s father.” Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese national born in 2004 and a student at the University of Waterloo, was apprehended while trying to cross the U.S. border from Windsor, Ontario, last month. He faces charges of providing false information. Zeng reportedly confessed to receiving paid “tasks” from an individual he believed was linked to a Chinese security agency.
The criminal complaint, lodged in U.S. District Court in Michigan, contains security camera footage showing a man scaling a forklift, attempting to open a locked FedEx truck, and taking pictures from a parking lot at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April. Zeng allegedly acknowledged trespassing and taking photos at a FedEx facility at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year at the request of the same unidentified individual.
Federal prosecutor Alyse Wu labeled the allegations as “espionage-type activities” during the Detroit court proceedings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office representative Gina Balaya confirmed that the case remains under investigation.
Zeng, who identifies as “Billy” on his public Instagram account, describes himself as a “photography lover” and anticipates graduating from Waterloo’s global business and digital arts program in 2028. His profile showcases images of airplanes, including Canadian military aircraft apparently captured at an airshow in 2024.
Wang, also known as Jade, disclosed to the Globe and Mail that her brother has a keen interest in planes and is on the autism spectrum. She suggested that Zeng may not have comprehended the seriousness of the situation when questioned by U.S. border officials. Wang declined an interview request from CBC News.
Zeng is set to appear in court again next week and remains in custody without seeking bond release. The RCMP is aware of the case, but it is unclear if they are involved in the FBI’s investigation. CSIS redirected inquiries to the RCMP.
Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, an advisory board member at the China Strategic Risks Institute, expressed sympathy for Zeng, indicating that he might not have fully grasped the consequences of his actions. She highlighted the routine practice of China’s Ministry of State Security leveraging students abroad for intelligence-gathering purposes.
An unnamed Chinese Embassy spokesperson in Ottawa condemned the portrayal of a “China spy threat” and baseless accusations against China. Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former CSIS official, explained that individuals paid to carry out tasks for intelligence agencies are often referred to as “co-optees.” He suggested that Zeng might have been recruited for such tasks rather than being a spy himself.