The sibling of an Ontario university student detained in an FBI counter-intelligence operation has refuted any claims that her brother is intentionally engaged in espionage on behalf of Beijing.
“If my brother is a spy for China, then I’m Trump’s father,” Meixuan Wang stated in a social media update on Wednesday.
Weiheng Zeng, a 2004-born Chinese national and a student at the University of Waterloo, was apprehended last month while trying to enter the U.S. from Windsor, Ontario, and has been charged with providing false information.
As per a criminal complaint, Zeng confessed to accepting compensated “taskings” from a person he believed was linked to a Chinese security agency.
The complaint, lodged in a Michigan U.S. District Court, contains surveillance footage seemingly capturing a man attempting to access a locked FedEx truck and taking pictures from a parking lot at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April.
Documents presented in court indicate that Zeng informed investigators that his unnamed contact instructed him to capture images of airplanes and their tail numbers, for a fee of $20-30 US per photo.
The criminal complaint, endorsed by FBI special agent Robert Holbrook, also reveals that Zeng recounted trespassing and photographing at a FedEx facility located at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year, at the behest of the same unidentified individual.
The accusations represent “espionage-type activities,” noted prosecutor Alyse Wu during the proceedings in Detroit.
Gina Balaya, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, mentioned in an email to CBC News that the investigation is ongoing.
University of Waterloo student Weiheng Zeng is suspected of espionage after the FBI said he admitted to accessing U.S. and Canadian airport facilities to photograph planes on behalf of a mysterious Chinese handler.
Self-identified ‘photography enthusiast’
On Zeng’s public Instagram account—where he uses the name Billy—he portrays himself as a “photography enthusiast” and anticipates graduating from Waterloo’s global business and digital arts program in 2028.
His profile showcases images of aircraft, including Canadian military planes seemingly taken at an air show in 2024.
Zeng’s Instagram also features photos from his visits to Chicago, where his sister resides and works as an artist, as per her social media profiles.
Zeng shared this picture of Royal Canadian Air Force planes, apparently captured at an air show in 2024, on his Instagram account. (Billy Zeng/Instagram)
Wang, also known as Jade, informed the Globe and Mail that her brother has a passion for airplanes and is on the autism spectrum. She expressed that Zeng may not have comprehended the seriousness of the situation when questioned by U.S. border officials.
Wang declined to participate in an interview with CBC News.
Rhonda Brazile, the federal defender assigned to represent Zeng, did not respond to a request for comment.
Zeng is expected to appear in court again next week. He remains in custody and has not requested bail.
RCMP spokesperson Camille Boily-Lavoie stated that the Mounties are aware of the situation but refrained from disclosing their involvement in the FBI investigation. CSIS redirected inquiries to the RCMP.
Surveillance images taken in April appear to depict a man, allegedly Zeng, attempting to open a locked FedEx truck and capturing photos from a parking area at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, according to the FBI. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan)
“I feel somewhat sympathetic towards [Zeng],” remarked Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a member of the advisory board at the China Strategic Risks Institute in Ottawa, during an interview this week.
“I’m sure he wasn’t fully aware of what he was getting involved in while undertaking these activities.”
She pointed out that China’s Ministry of State Security frequently relies on international students to collect information and take photographs that could benefit Beijing’s intelligence agencies.
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“They don’t need to rely on their own personnel to gather such information, which provides them with plausible deniability,” McCuaig-Johnston explained.
An unnamed representative from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa stated in a Wednesday announcement that Beijing “strongly opposes exaggerating the so-called ‘China spy threat’ and unfounded speculations and accusations against China.”
Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former chief of the Asia-Pacific unit for CSIS, explained that individuals who agree to be compensated for performing tasks for intelligence agencies are often referred to as “co-optees.”
“The question remains, is [Zeng] a spy or is he someone who was recruited to perform tasks for a spy?” Juneau-Katsuya pondered. “It seems likely that he falls into the latter category.”