Tang Juan was one of four Chinese researchers arrested and charged in recent weeks (Representation)
Washington:
A Chinese researcher who fled to the country’s consulate in San Francisco to avoid visa fraud charges has been arrested and will appear in court on Friday, a US Department of Justice official said.
Tang Juan, who allegedly concealed his ties to the People’s Liberation Army when she applied to undertake cancer treatment research at the University of California-Davis, is being held in the United States, said the official, who insisted on anonymity.
The official did not say how Tang got out of the consulate, but noted that she did not have diplomatic status that would protect her from criminal charges.
According to unsealed charges against Tang last week in federal court in Sacramento, she arrived in the United States on December 27 as part of a research exchange program.
When applying for a visa, she answered “no” to questions as to whether she had served in the army or whether she was a member or affiliated with a Communist Party.
The FBI said it later found photos of her in a uniform with badges for PLA “civilian cadres”, and identifying information describing her as an associate researcher at an Army hospital. Chinese air.
During a search of her apartment in Davis, Calif., The FBI said it found documents indicating that she was a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
Tang was one of four Chinese researchers arrested and charged in recent weeks for visa fraud, all because they allegedly concealed their links to the PLA.
The Justice Department said on Thursday that the four were part of a Chinese effort to “infiltrate” US institutions in order to acquire scientific and technological knowledge.
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
