Tim Cheung (@TimCheung)

An MD Anderson #cancer #researcher was arrested last week and accused of trying to steal #research and smuggle it back to China. Yunhai Li, 35, was charged with theft of #tradesecrets, a #felony, and tampering with a government record, a #misdemeanor, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Li began working for MD Anderson in 2022. He was in the U.S. on a #research #scholar #visa and was conducting breast cancer vaccine research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. According to the district attorney’s office, Li tried to leave the U.S. on July 9 but was stopped at the airport by #US. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security agents. Li was allegedly carrying sensitive medical information through the airport. In a statement announcing the charges, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said his office would have 'zero tolerance for any attempts that hurt our nation and our community's ability to pioneer critical medical breakthroughs'...Li joined MD Anderson after earning a medical degree in China, according to charging documents. When he started working in the U.S., Li signed confidentiality agreements that were meant to prevent him from sharing information outside the cancer center. He also certified that he didn’t have foreign research funding or outside affiliations. Li was receiving funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and was performing research for Chongqing Medical University, according to a complaint written by a Texas Department of Public Safety investigator. While he was a researcher at MD Anderson, Li was listed as an author on medical research published in #China, according to the complaint. He is accused of placing unpublished cancer research onto his personal devices and then uploading it to #Baidu, a #Chinese cloud service. He also allegedly used software to delete evidence of his uploads, according to court records. When he was stopped at the airport, border agents found two phones and a laptop with evidence of MD Anderson files on them...#MD Anderson responded to questions about Li's arrest in a statement, confirming he was no longer employed there and that the center was 'working with relevant authorities' in the investigation...Li is also under investigation for several other crimes, including wire fraud, theft of federal funds and abuse of official capacity. If convicted of the state felony, Li could face up to 10 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine. The charges against Li are the latest example of Chinese residents being implicated in #spying in Houston. In July, federal #prosecutors announced indictments against two #Chinese men who were accused of hacking into research institutions, including the #University of #Texas Medical Branch, looking for information on #COVID vaccines. In June, a #Chinese man who was living in #Houston was accused of helping attempt to recruit Navy sailors and turn them into intelligence assets." https://www.facebook.com/ChinaCreepingAuthoritarianism/posts/pfbid032DBigAhxR5RmzKJuZ3NPJVvqRJcxCtpt19CpSm2P9WfXevWPgBSGSTG33b8siyf4l