The sibling of a college student from Ontario, who was detained in a counter-intelligence inquiry by the FBI, has rejected claims that her brother was knowingly engaged in espionage activities for China.
In a social media message, Meixuan Wang dismissed the allegations, stating, “If my sibling is a Chinese operative, then I am related to Trump.” The student, Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese national studying at the University of Waterloo, was apprehended while trying to enter the U.S. from Windsor, Ontario, last month and charged with providing false information.
According to a legal document, Zeng confessed to accepting paid assignments from an individual he believed had ties to a Chinese security agency. The filing, lodged in a U.S. District Court in Michigan, contains surveillance footage showing a man scaling a forklift, attempting to open a secured FedEx truck, and taking pictures at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April.
Zeng admitted to investigators that he was instructed by his unidentified contact to capture images of aircraft and tail numbers in exchange for $20-30 USD per photo. The FBI complaint also claims that Zeng admitted to trespassing and taking photos at a FedEx facility at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year, at the request of the same undisclosed individual.
The prosecutor, Alyse Wu, described the allegations as activities resembling espionage during a session in Detroit court. A representative for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gina Balaya, mentioned that the case is still in the investigative phase.
On Zeng’s public Instagram account, where he is known as Billy, he describes himself as a “photography enthusiast” and plans to graduate from Waterloo’s global business and digital arts program in 2028. His profile showcases images of planes, including Canadian military aircraft apparently taken at an air show in 2024.
In the Globe and Mail, Wang, also known as Jade, mentioned that her brother has a strong passion for airplanes and is on the autism spectrum. She suggested that Zeng might not have comprehended the seriousness of his situation when questioned by U.S. border officials.
Zeng is currently in custody and did not seek bail. He is set to appear in court again next week. The RCMP confirmed awareness of the case but did not disclose their involvement 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 empathy for Zeng in an interview, stating that he may not have fully grasped the implications of his actions.
A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa released a statement condemning the portrayal of a “China spy threat” and unfounded accusations against China. Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former chief of the Asia-Pacific unit for CSIS, explained that individuals who carry out tasks for intelligence agencies for payment are commonly referred to as “co-optees.”
Juneau-Katsuya speculated that Zeng might have been recruited to perform tasks for a spy rather than being an actual spy.