# Potential Saboteurs, Spies, and Hackers from China Getting Busted Around the World
In recent months, a string of high-profile arrests has left no doubt that the world is witnessing a shift in the realm of national security. With President Donald Trump at the helm and a firm "America First" policy in place, it seems that the United States is taking a more robust stance against potential saboteurs, spies, and hackers from China.
One notable example of this new direction is the case of three Chinese scientists who were accused of smuggling restricted biological materials into the country for use at the University of Michigan. Two of the suspects will remain in custody after waiving their right to a hearing last month, while the third remains in China, having been sent back during his recent attempt to return to the US.
However, it's not just the US that is taking action against Chinese nationals suspected of espionage and hacking. In San Diego, two Chinese men were arrested on charges of spying on U.S. military facilities and attempting to recruit American service members for China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). The suspects, Yuance Chen, 38, and Liren "Ryan" Lai, 39, made their initial appearances in federal court Monday in Portland, Oregon, and Houston, Texas.
According to the FBI, the suspects allegedly facilitated a "dead drop" cash payment for information about U.S. national security, gathered intelligence about U.S. Navy personnel and bases, and assisted with efforts to recruit other people from within the American military as potential MSS assets. The investigation also revealed that search warrants were served in San Diego, San Francisco, Houston, and Portland.
But it's not just the US that is cracking down on Chinese nationals suspected of espionage and hacking. In Italy, Xu Zewei, a 33-year-old IT manager from Shanghai, was arrested at Milan's Malpensa airport for allegedly stealing COVID-19 research from American universities and participating in mass hacking of Microsoft Exchange servers between 2020 and 2021.
U.S. authorities allege that Xu was part of a team of hackers who targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and testing. The U.S. Justice Department says that a research university in the Southern District of Texas was also targeted, and that Xu was involved in a cyber-espionage group known as Hafnium, which has alleged ties to the Chinese government.
The charges listed on Xu's arrest warrant include wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and unauthorized access to protected computers. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, authorities have detained two people from China suspected of attempting to steal military technology related to the country's Neptune missile system.
Counterintelligence officials arrested a 24-year-old former student in Kyiv after providing him with "technical documentation" related to Neptune production, it said in a statement. They later detained his father, who had aimed to smuggle out the documents to the Chinese special services, the SBU said. The two men were the first Chinese people arrested for spying since Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion.
It seems that China can say "goodbye" to the days of spying and hacking without getting caught or facing repercussions. With these recent arrests, it's clear that the world is taking a stand against Chinese nationals suspected of espionage and hacking, and that national security is becoming a top priority once again.
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