US Arrests Chinese Military Researcher Who Fled to Chinese Embassy in the US

Chengdu-based U.S. Consulate General retaliated by closure
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and China over the closure of diplomatic missions, a Chinese military researcher who had been hiding in the Chinese Consulate General in the United States was arrested by U.S. authorities.

According to U.S. media including CNN, on the 24th (local time), the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Tang Juan, a military researcher who had been hiding in the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, was arrested the previous day and is scheduled to appear in court on the 27th.

The Department of Justice did not disclose specific details of the arrest, but the fact that the individual was hiding in a Chinese diplomatic mission and was arrested could potentially spark diplomatic controversy.

Tang, who was arrested, worked as a researcher at the University of California, Davis, and was charged with falsely denying her service in the Chinese People's Liberation Army and her affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party when applying for a visa to the United States.

FBI agents claimed in the indictment that based on her internet news search history, she was clearly linked to the military. Last month, FBI agents seized electronic equipment from Tang’s apartment in Davis, California, where a photo of Tang wearing a People's Liberation Army uniform was found. Additionally, in a government benefits application discovered by FBI agents, Tang identified herself as a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Afterward, Tang fled to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. On May 29, the United States banned entry for Chinese students and researchers affiliated with universities linked to the People's Liberation Army, citing a high risk of them acting as intellectual property collectors using unconventional methods. Tang had applied for a U.S. visa last October, stating she intended to research cancer treatment at the university.

On the same day, the U.S. Department of Justice also announced that a Singaporean man named Dixon Ye, who had set up a fake consulting company and extracted information from U.S. government and military personnel, admitted to working as an illegal agent for Chinese intelligence authorities.

The U.S. Department of Justice, together with the FBI, is conducting crackdowns on Chinese espionage activities by interviewing many visa holders suspected of involvement with Chinese intelligence agencies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.