Chinese researcher in ‘economic warfare’ case loses appeal
GlaxoSmithKline also has a presence in Switzerland, including in Nyon, canton Vaud.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
A Swiss-based Chinese scientist, accused by the US of helping to steal trade secrets, must remain in Swiss custody due to flight risk, says the Federal Criminal Court.
In its decision published on MondayExternal link, the court rejected the appeal by Gongda Xue and said the hefty prison sentence he faces if extradited to the US – up to 20 years – means that releasing him from custody would be premature.
Xue was arrested by Swiss authorities in May, almost a year after the US embassy in Bern demanded that he be extradited on charges of economic espionage.
The researcher, who has lived in Switzerland for 18 years, is the brother of Yu Xue, a Chinese-American scientist who last August pleaded guilty at a US District Court in Pennsylvania to stealing secrets from UK-owned GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
The US court claims that Gongda Xue received the stolen information from his sister and performed tests at the Basel-based Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (where he was employed until 2014) before sending the results to China.
‘Economic warfare’
The stolen information and tests allegedly involved the search for a cure for cancer, and more specifically, antibodies that bind to tumour cells and kill them.
US prosecutors estimate that the value of the stolen secrets amount to some $550 million (CHF545 million) and have characterised the case as an instance of “economic warfare”.
The Friedrich Miescher Institute confirmed to the Reuters news agency that it had employed Gongda Xue as a post-doctoral researcher but said it was not accusing him of any wrongdoing. The scientist’s lawyer declined to comment.
Swiss authorities continue to consider the extradition request by the US.
Swiss parliament calls for deeper EU security cooperation
This content was published on
The House of Representatives has called on the Swiss government to take a more proactive approach to European security policy.
Switzerland has no US-style fentanyl problem, says health minister
This content was published on
There is very little chance of a US-sized fentanyl epidemic in Switzerland, says health minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.
This content was published on
Two fish species recently discovered in Switzerland have been called fluvicola and ommata, following an appeal to the public for names.
Convicted ex-shipowner achieves partial success in Swiss court
This content was published on
The Federal Supreme Court orders lower court to reassess part of its verdict against former Swiss shipowner Hans-Jürg Grunder.
This content was published on
A Swiss moratorium on the genetic engineering of plants, which expires at the end of 2025, could be extended for five years.
SWISS airline achieves second-best profit in history
This content was published on
Revenues soared for Swiss International Air Lines in 2024, contributing to the second-largest profit in the company's history.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
High pharma margins squeeze health systems
This content was published on
Curing cancer for the masses could be challenging if healthcare systems are crippled by rapidly rising cancer drug prices.
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Council has reported an increase in foreign espionage, particularly aided by technology and by spies posing as diplomats.
Chinese firms stole sensitive data from Swiss-based competitor
This content was published on
The news comes days after the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service had highlighted the ongoing threat of Chinese espionage in its annual report on the risks facing Switzerland. The SonntagsZeitungExternal link reports that the victim of this case was a Swiss subsidiary of the Dutch company BesiExternal link, which manufactures machines that make computer chips. The perpetrators…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.