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Virologist Li‑Meng Yan Says She Is in Hiding in U.S., Fearing Beijing Retaliation

She alleges Chinese authorities are exploiting her family to lure her back to China in retaliation for her lab‑origin claims.

Overview

  • Yan told the New York Times that for five years relatives have been used to entice her return, calling it a potential “perfect crime.”
  • A 2023 criminal complaint in New York listed Yan as a victim in an alleged Chinese National Police transnational repression scheme, and the case remains pending.
  • Google notified her earlier this year that she was likely targeted by a state‑sponsored attempt to steal her password, according to the reporting.
  • Yan fled to the United States in 2020 with help from a foundation tied to Steve Bannon and Guo Wengui and later promoted lab‑origin claims on conservative media including Tucker Carlson’s show.
  • Her husband, virologist Ranawaka Perera, traveled to the U.S. seeking a conversation to confirm her safety and has asserted she was influenced by online personalities, while she remains out of contact.