Zewei Xu, 33, was arrested in Milan on July 3 following a US embassy tip-off. Allegedly connected to Silk Typhoon, he is suspected of espionage activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically spying on vaccine development. The US has filed an extradition request, with a court hearing scheduled for approval. Xu's family states he works for GTA Semiconductor, denying connections to Silk Typhoon. The charges reportedly relate to cyberespionage actions between 2020 and 2021, with a nine-count indictment expected from the US.
Xu is alleged to have been involved in China's espionage efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, tasked with spying on vaccine development at the University of Texas.
Xu was arrested following a tipoff from the US embassy upon arriving at Milan's Malpensa airport on July 3.
Court documents indicated Xu is also suspected of being part of Hafnium, now known as Silk Typhoon, previously tracked for masterminding a spate of activity targeting US computers and networks.
Xu's family argued that they were confused about his arrest since they were able to secure a visa to travel to Italy.
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