There are U.S.-based Chinese scientists collaborating with China’s military and, based on direct evidence, arguably coordinating propaganda efforts with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to absolve itself of responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is described in this article is only the tip of a very large iceberg.

It does not include Chinese Communist Party operatives in the federal government, state legislatures, universities, and in so-called Chinese-American social or cultural organizations.

Since the 1990s, U.S. universities and research institutions have been colonized by CCP and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) scientists.

Those scientists, some becoming U.S. citizens, have maintained working relationships with scientists in China, including those in the PLA.

The research they are conducting with the PLA is supported by U.S. funding, much of which is derived from Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The activities of Chinese scientists based in the U.S. have gone beyond research collaboration with counterparts in China and now appear to include active collaboration with CCP propaganda efforts.

These are at least partially coordinated from the Chinese-American professional organization, the Virology Division of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (SCBA) of which Shan-Lu Liu of Ohio State University is president.

Not only does Shan-Lu Liu collaborate with PLA scientists like Cheng-Feng Qin, believed to be a key figure in China’s biowarfare program, but there is evidence pointing to his role as an organizer of CCP propaganda in the U.S.

That propaganda coordination is done via private chat rooms online that include CCP scientists and members of the SCBA.

In early February 2020, long before the origin of COVID-19 could have been determined, Shan-Lu Liu wrote an article supporting Beijing’s argument that the virus had a natural origin.

As recently as January 2021, Shan-Lu Liu was in communication with Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman” of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, who was encouraging him to enlist Chinese virologists in a public relations and media campaign in support of Beijing’s views.

Another author on the February 2020 article supporting the CCP contention that COVID-19 was naturally-occurring was Lishan Su of the University of North Carolina, who also has extensive research collaboration with the PLA.

Another U.S.-based Chinese scientist, who is a participant in the online discussions related to CCP propaganda in the U.S. and a PLA research collaborator is Shan Lu of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Other U.S.-based Chinese scientists, who have been working with the PLA while accessing U.S. funding, knowledge and skills are Qiao Li, University of Michigan; Xuping Xie, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston and Tao Jiang, University of California.

The extensive infiltration of U.S. research programs and other critical U.S. institutions poses a grave national security threat, but one that remains unaddressed by U.S. government officials.

This column was originally published at The Gateway Pundit.