US arrests researcher hiding in Chinese Consulate General

According to documents filed in a San Francisco district court, Ms. Juan Tang, who works at the University of California Davis, falsely stated on her visa application that she did not serve in the Chinese military.

However, investigators found photos of Ms. Tang in a Chinese military uniform and discovered that she had worked as a researcher at the Military Medical University of the Chinese Air Force. Ms. Tang was charged with visa fraud on June 26. The FBI interviewed Ms. Tang on June 20, and shortly thereafter, Ms. Tang fled to the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco.

A U.S. Justice Department official said Tang was arrested late on July 23 and did not have diplomatic immunity because she was not a diplomat. The official also said Tang would appear in court on July 24. The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier, senior US officials said yesterday that the consulate in Houston was one of China's worst intelligence centers in the US and that its activities had exceeded the permitted level. The US has ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, accusing it of engaging in commercial espionage and defense espionage.

A senior US Defense Department official told reporters on July 24 that the espionage activities there were linked to China’s pursuit of a Covid-19 vaccine to become a global leader in the field. The Chinese consulate in Houston has been ordered to close by the afternoon of July 24.

In retaliation for the US decision, China has also ordered the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu. The US consulate in Chengdu, established in 1985 and currently has more than 200 staff, is considered strategically important because of its proximity to Tibet./.