(Bloomberg) -- A Chinese researcher who spent weeks in the country’s consulate in San Francisco before she was arrested by the U.S. on visa fraud charges pleaded not guilty.
Juan Tang, whose prosecution has helped fuel tension between China and the U.S., entered her plea Monday in federal court in Sacramento, near where she did cancer research at University of California at Davis.
She is among Chinese scholar visa holders in more than 25 American cities who the Justice Department suspects of having an “undeclared affiliation” with the Chinese military.
If convicted of visa fraud and making a false statement, Tang could face up to 10 years in prison. Her next court hearing is set for September 1.
