Fugitive Chinese biologist who ‘lied about her ties to the military’ is placed in US custody after Beijing has sheltered her inside her San Francisco consulate
- Juan Tang, 37, was arrested and taken into custody in Sacramento County
- She is accused of lying about military ties on a visa application to work in the U.S.
- Tang is one of four scientists living in the United States accused of lying.
- The accusations came as relations between the United States and China continued to deteriorate.
- China’s consulate in Houston was closed on Friday by order of the US authorities.
Records from the Sacramento County Jail show that the 37-year-old fugitive Chinese biologist Juan Tang was detained on behalf of federal authorities after he was arrested by the US Marshals Service. It was unclear if he had an attorney who could comment on your behalf.
A Chinese investigator accused of concealing her ties to the Chinese military in a visa application she filed in order to work in the US She was booked into a Northern California jail on Friday and was expected to appear in federal court on Monday. .
Records from the Sacramento County Jail show that Juan Tang, 37, was detained on behalf of federal authorities after she was arrested by the US Marshals Service.It was unclear if she had an attorney who could comment on your behalf.
The Justice Department on Thursday announced charges against Tang and three other scientists living in the United States, saying they lied about their membership in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. They were all accused of visa fraud.
Tang was the last of the four to be arrested after the justice department accused the Chinese consulate in San Francisco of harboring a known fugitive.
The consulate did not immediately respond to emails and Facebook messages seeking comment and it was not possible to leave a phone message.
The Justice Department said Tang lied about his military ties in a visa application last October when he made plans to work at the University of California, Davis, and again during an interview with the FBI months later.
The FBI says that China’s consulate in San Francisco sheltered Tang after she fled there after an interview with the office on June 20.
The allegations came as relations between the United States and China continued to deteriorate, particularly over allegations of Chinese theft of American intellectual property. The Chinese consulate in Houston was closed on Friday by order of US authorities after Washington accused Chinese agents of trying to steal medical and other investigations in Texas.
Agents found photos of Tang dressed in a military uniform and reviewed items in China that identified his military affiliation.
UC Davis said Tang left her job as a visiting researcher at the Department of Radiation Oncology in June. Their work was funded by a study-based exchange program affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, the university said in a statement.
The Justice Department on Thursday announced charges against Tang and three other scientists living in the United States, saying they lied about their membership in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. They were all accused of visa fraud
Agents have said they believe Tang sought refuge at the consulate after interviewing her at her Davis home on June 20. The FBI has been interviewing visa holders in more than 25 American cities suspected of hiding their ties to the Chinese military.
The allegations came as relations between the United States and China continued to deteriorate, particularly over allegations of Chinese theft of American intellectual property.
The Chinese consulate in Houston was closed on Friday by order of US authorities after Washington accused Chinese agents of trying to steal medical and other investigations in Texas.
“We can confirm that the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Houston is closed,” confirmed a State Department spokesman on Friday night. The spokesperson spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make public comments.
In response, China on Friday ordered the United States to close its consulate in Chengdu city.
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