Prosecutors: Chinese Employee Participated in Visa Fraud Scheme

A Chinese government official was arrested Monday on charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

Federal prosecutors said Zhongsan Liu, 57, was conspiring to give visas to Chinese government employees.

“We welcome foreign students and researchers, including from China, but we do not welcome visa fraud — especially on behalf of a government,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in a statement. “We will continue to confront Chinese government attempts to subvert American law to advance its own interests in diverting U.S. research and know-how to China.”

Liu operates the New York office of the China Association for International Exchange of Personnel, which recruits U.S. scientists, academics, engineers, and other experts to work in China.