Three Chinese research scholars affiliated with a University of Michigan laboratory have been criminally charged for allegedly conspiring to smuggle biological materials into the United States.

The arrests mark the latest incident in a series of federal investigations targeting national security vulnerabilities tied to Chinese nationals and foreign research partnerships.

Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that three citizens of the People’s Republic of China — Xu Bai, 28, Fengfan Zhang, 27, and Zhiyong Zhang, 30 — face criminal charges related to an alleged scheme to smuggle concealed biological materials into the United States.

All three were J-1 visa holders conducting research at the University of Michigan’s laboratory overseen by Professor Xianzhong “Shawn” Xu.

Bai and F. Zh

See Full Page