Chinese scientist accused of secret links to military hiding in San Francisco consulate, US says

Tensions between countries has worsened in last few months due to Covid-19 and China’s controversial new security law in Hong Kong

A Chinese scientist accused of committing visa fraud by concealing links to the military, has fled to China’s consulate in San Francisco.

Juan Tang, who was a biology researcher at the University of California, has been accused of lying to FBI agents about her previous military experience in an interview last month.

US Prosecutors claimed in court filings on Wednesday that they found pictures of Ms Tang in military uniform during an open-source investigation and discovered further ties to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at her home, according to the BBC.

“At some point following the search and interview of Tang on 20 June, 2020, Tang went to the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, where the FBI assesses she has remained,” prosecutors claimed in filings obtained by Axios.

Prosecutors added: “As the Tang case demonstrates, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco provides a potential safe harbour for a PLA official intent on avoiding prosecution in the United States.”

They claimed that Ms Tang’s case is not an isolated incident, and said that sending military scientists to the US while concealing their history “appears to be part of a programme conducted by the PLA.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Trump administration accused China’s consulate in Houston, Texas, of stealing intellectual property and ordered its closure.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called the claims “malicious slander” in a press conference on Wednesday and criticised the closure of the Houston consulate.

President Donald Trump also threatened to close other consulates in the US, following the announcement, amid growing tension between the two countries.

China and the US have clashed repeatedly in recent months over the coronavirus pandemic and the former’s new controversial security law in Hong Kong.

In reaction to the new security law, the US has made it clear that it will revoke its economic preferential treatment to China, according to the BBC.

Speaking about the closure of the consulate on Wednesday, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said: “We are setting out clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave.

“And when they don’t, we’re going to take actions that protect the American people, protect...our national security, and also protect our economy and jobs.”

Mr Wenbin responded on Wednesday and said: “China strongly condemns such an outrageous and unjustified move, which will sabotage China-US relations,” and added: “We urge the US to immediately withdraw its erroneous decision, otherwise China will make legitimate and necessary reactions.”