A 28-year-old Chinese student, Jiaxuemo Zhang, attending the University at Buffalo in New York has been arrested for visa fraud. Zhang is suspected of concealing his educational and research background, a crime that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence.
Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, stated on the 28th that the U.S. has fabricated charges against Chinese students, alleging these actions are politically motivated acts of oppression. He urged the U.S. to stop suppressing Chinese students under the pretext of national security.
In a regular press briefing held by the Foreign Ministry, a reporter mentioned that the FBI recently arrested and charged a Chinese student for visa fraud. Additionally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained, interrogated, and deported three other Chinese students upon their entry to the U.S.
Wang Wenbin stated that the U.S.’s unwarranted detentions, interrogations, and deportations of Chinese students, coupled with fabricated charges, are acts of political suppression. He strongly opposes these actions and has urged the U.S. to demonstrate its welcoming attitude towards Chinese students, by revoking the biased Proclamation 10043 and ceasing suppression of Chinese students citing national security reasons. China will continue to take necessary measures to protect the rights of its citizens and remind students to be wary of related risks when studying in the U.S.
In 2021, Jiaxuemo Zhang, with an F-1 student visa, was studying subjects like fluid mechanics and high-speed flow physics at the University at Buffalo. However, when he applied for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, he concealed his previous education and research at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
In 2022, while applying for an aerodynamics Ph.D. program at another university, Zhang’s resume indicated his studies and research at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This involved participation in key fluid mechanics laboratories and computational fluid mechanics national labs.
The Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics is one of the top seven institutions affiliated with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and is referred to as one of the “Seven Sons of National Defense.”
Investigators pointed out that Proclamation 10043, signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump on May 29, 2020, restricts students and visiting scholars associated with China’s “Military-civil fusion strategy” from entering the U.S. starting June 1, 2020. They believe that personnel from institutions like Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics fall under this category.
Investigators claim that Zhang concealed significant educational and research experiences when applying for his visa in 2021. Had he disclosed this information, his visa application might have been denied, leading to the criminal charges against him.
According to the mainland Chinese media, “Finance and Economics,” most students denied visas due to Proclamation 10043 had studied at one of eight renowned institutions, including Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, or received funding from the National Scholarship Committee.