Chinese who took refuge at San Francisco consulate now in US custody, says official
Juan Tang, a cancer researcher at UC Davis, is suspected of working for the Chinese military. PHOTO: Department of Justice/FILE
A Chinese researcher who took refuge from US authorities at China’s consulate in San Francisco is now in American custody and is expected to appear in court on Friday, a senior US Justice Department official said.
According to court filings in US District Court in San Francisco this week, Juan Tang, who worked at the University of California, Davis, falsely claimed on her visa application that she had not served in the Chinese military. She was charged with visa fraud on June 26.
The Justice Department official told reporters Tang was detained on Thursday night and did not have diplomatic immunity as she was not declared as a diplomatic official.
“She’ll make her initial appearance in court later today,” he said, alleging that Tang was part of a network of associates who concealed their military affiliation when applying for visas.
The Chinese embassy did respond to a request for comment on the case.