Tang Juan, who was staying in the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, according to the FBI, and three other researchers are accused of concealing their identities as members of China's People's Liberation Army. All have been charged with visa fraud.
Tang, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, stated on her J-1 visa application that she "had never served in the military, but open source investigation revealed photographs of her in the uniform of the Civilian Cadre of the PLA [People's Liberation Army], and that she had been employed as a researcher at the Air Force Military Medical University, which is another name for FMMU [Fourth Military Medical University]," the FBI claimed.
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According to a June 20 interview with FBI agents, Tang "denied serving in the Chinese military, claimed she did not know the meaning of the insignia on her uniform, and that wearing a military uniform was required for attendance at FMMU because it was a military school."
The FBI said it executed a search warrant at Tang's home and found a trove of evidence of Tang's PLA affiliation.
"The FBI assesses that at some point following the search and interview of Tang on June 20, 2020, Tang went to the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, where the FBI assesses she has remained," the bureau said.
The FBI filing against Tang came as part of a document that cited a slew of other episodes in which Chinese nationals allegedly lied on their visa applications by concealing their military ties.