By Five University of Michigan graduates from China were charged by federal prosecutors for trespassing at a U.S. military facility in Michigan during a National Guard training exercise involving members of the Taiwanese military. The five individuals, who were in the U.S. as part of a joint program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, were caught near Camp Grayling during “Northern Strike,” a large-scale U.S. National Guard exercise, according to The Detroit News.
The incident, which occurred in August 2023, has raised concerns about potential espionage and ongoing national security threats and wouldn’t be the first time that Chinese nationals have tried to gain intel about American military installations.
According to the FBI, the five were found taking photographs near sensitive military equipment and vehicles at Camp Grayling, a 147,000-acre facility. They were confronted by a sergeant major from the Utah National Guard but quickly fled the area. Despite their claims of being “media,” law enforcement later found them at a nearby Super 8 motel.
Months later, one of the suspects, Guan, was stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with electronic devices, including cameras and laptops. A review of his photos revealed images of military vehicles taken shortly before their confrontation at the camp. When questioned, Guan falsely claimed to have been stargazing in northern Michigan with classmates. Further investigation revealed inconsistencies in the group’s accounts, particularly their explanation of visiting Bear Lake to see the Perseid meteor shower, despite unfavorable weather conditions.
The FBI also discovered WeChat messages in which the group discussed deleting photos and coordinating their stories to mislead investigators. The group had plans to erase evidence before leaving the U.S., and some members allegedly attempted to transfer their electronic devices to others traveling abroad to avoid detection.
Although none of the individuals are currently in custody, arrest warrants have been issued. They graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2024 and left the country. Their trespassing incident is part of a broader pattern of Chinese nationals being caught at sensitive U.S. military sites. Other incidents include Chinese students at Naval Air Station Key West and a University of Minnesota student using drones to photograph naval shipyards.
The case has political ramifications, particularly concerning Michigan’s Gotion Inc., a China-linked battery parts manufacturer. Gotion’s ties to China have sparked national security concerns due to its proximity to Camp Grayling.
The Detroit News writes that the case could have profound implications on Michigan’s politics, the state that could decide the upcoming presidential race.
Gotion Inc., whose parent company is located in Hefei, China, received significant state tax incentives to locate a battery parts plant in Green Township on the outskirts of Big Rapids. But the October 2022 announcement of the project was greeted by pushback from some residents in Mecosta County who were concerned about the secrecy surrounding the negotiations that secured the deal as well as the company’s ties to China. Those concerns have been amplified as Michigan Republicans frequently zero in on the project.
Michigan resident Joseph Cella, a former U.S. ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu under former President Donald Trump, has warned for months that the proposed Gotion project poses a national security threat to the Camp Grayling military installation and to the state, including Chinese espionage.
In testimony before a U.S. House panel last week, Cella noted that Grayling is the hub of the National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which trains U.S. troops and those allies like Taiwan in strategic and tactical battle operations.
“This is basically an affirmation of what we have been talking about this whole time,” Cella told The Detroit News on Wednesday after the charges were revealed.
Democrats in Michigan have allocated $1 billion in corporate incentives and committed hundreds of millions more for large-scale electric vehicle (EV) and battery projects, which have so far resulted in approximately 200 jobs, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis.
These payouts are a central part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s obsession with moving the automotive industry away from traditional combustion engines. However, as EV sales lag and the industry’s future remains uncertain, Michigan has few assurances that these projects will fulfill their job-creation promises.
To date, the state has spent nearly half of the more than $2 billion pledged since 2022 to five companies: Ford Motor Co., Gotion Inc., LG Energy Solution, Our Next Energy for battery plants, and General Motors Corp. for a battery plant and expanded EV production.
The Democratic candidate for Senate has been accused by some in her own party for her closeness to China.
Last year, the Department of Defense and FBI testified that a recent review Chinese nationals have tried to sneak onto military bases several times over the past few years.
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