A Chinese investigator who I take refuge of U.S Chinese authorities consulate in Saint Francisco it is now in american custody and a senior is expected to appear in court on Friday US Justice Department officer has said.
According to judicial filings in the US District Court in Saint Francisco this week, Juan Tang, who worked at the University of California, Davis, falsely claimed on her visa application that she had not served on the Chinese military. She was charged with visa fraud on June 26.
The Justice Department official told reporters that Tang was arrested Thursdayursduring the day and had no diplomatic immunity since she was not declared diplomatic official.
“He will make his initial appearance in court later today,” he said Friday, alleging that Tang was part of a network of associates. who He concealed his military affiliation by applying for visas.
The department also announced criminal charges against three other Chinese investigators, named Xin Wang, Chen Song and Kaikai Zhao, according to a statement released on Thursday.
“These members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army applied for investigative visas while concealing their true affiliation with the EPL,” Deputy National Security Attorney General John C Demers said in the statement on Thursday. “This is another part of the Chinese Communist Party’s plan to take advantage of our open society and exploit academic institutions. We will continue to carry out this investigation together with the FBI.”
The US Department of Justice building in Washington, USA. [Mary F Calvert/Reuters]
Each of the four Chinese citizens allegedly made fraudulent statements on their US visa application. Both Tang and Zhao answered “no” to the question, “Did you ever serve in the military?” Read the Justice Department document. Both Wang and Song stated that their employment by the Chinese military had ended, while US officials maintain that they remain in service.
Each defendant has been charged with visa fraud and, if convicted, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $ 250,000, the Justice Department said.
the Chinese embassy has not commented on the case.
Sino-US relations have deteriorated amid a growing range of conflicts including trade, managing the coronavirus pandemic, technology, allegations of espionage, Hong Kong, and allegations of abuse against Chinese Muslims.
Also on Friday, the US State Department sent out a notice warning Americans in China of a “greater risk of arbitrary arrest.”
“American citizens can be subjected to prolonged interrogation and prolonged detention for reasons related to ‘state security’,” the notice says.
Americans can be arrested or deported for “sending critical private electronic messages” from the Chinese government, he said. The notice gave no indication of what caused the warning.
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