The sibling of a university student from Ontario who was apprehended in an FBI counter-intelligence inquiry has rejected the assertion that her brother is knowingly engaged in espionage for Beijing.
Meixuan Wang stated in a social media post on Wednesday, “If my sibling is a Chinese spy, then I’m Trump’s dad.”
Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese national born in 2004 and enrolled at the University of Waterloo, was arrested last month while trying to cross the U.S. border from Windsor, Ontario. He was charged with providing false statements.
As per a filed criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court in Michigan, Zeng confessed to receiving paid “taskings” from an individual he believed was linked to a Chinese security agency.
The complaint contains security camera footage showing a person climbing a forklift, attempting to access a locked FedEx truck, and capturing images from a parking lot at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April.
Zeng reportedly admitted to investigators that his unnamed contact instructed him to photograph airplanes and tail numbers in exchange for $20-30 USD per picture.
Furthermore, the complaint detailed Zeng’s account of trespassing and taking photos at a FedEx facility at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year at the direction of the same unidentified individual.
Prosecutor Alyse Wu labeled the allegations as “espionage-type activities” during the court proceedings in Detroit. The case is still being investigated, according to Gina Balaya, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Zeng, who goes by the name Billy on his public Instagram account, describes himself as a “photography enthusiast” 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 photographed at an air show in 2024.
Wang, also known as Jade, disclosed to the Globe and Mail that her brother has a keen interest in airplanes and is on the autism spectrum. She suggested that Zeng might not have comprehended the severity of the situation when questioned by U.S. border officials.
Zeng, represented by court-appointed federal defender Rhonda Brazile, is set to appear in court again next week. He remains in custody and did not seek bond release.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) acknowledged awareness of the case but did not confirm involvement in the FBI’s investigation. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) deferred inquiries to the RCMP.
Experts have weighed in on the situation, with Margaret McCuaig-Johnston expressing sympathy for Zeng and suggesting that students abroad are often coerced by China’s Ministry of State Security to gather intelligence.
An unnamed spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa denounced the “China spy threat” narrative, while Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former chief of the Asia-Pacific unit for CSIS, differentiated between spies and individuals recruited to carry out tasks for intelligence agencies.