Rome/Washington: The United States has formally requested the extradition of Xu Zewei, a 33-year-old Chinese national arrested last week in Italy, accusing him of orchestrating cyberattacks targeting American universities and research institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. authorities allege that Xu acted on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security to steal sensitive data related to vaccines and treatments, while Beijing refused to share information on the virus.
Xu was detained at Milan’s Malpensa Airport on July 3 and is currently being held in the Busto Arsizio prison. He appeared in court yesterday for an identification hearing related to the extradition process, where he denied the allegations and suggested that he may have been misidentified.
Xu Zewei, a 33-year-old Chinese national, was arrested on July 3 in Milan, Italy, following a request from U.S. authorities. He now faces extradition proceedings over his alleged role in a wide-ranging cyber espionage campaign directed by Chinese state intelligence services. A nine-count indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of Texas, charges Xu and a co-defendant, 44-year-old Zhang Yu, with conducting a series of cyber intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the sweeping HAFNIUM hacking campaign that compromised thousands of systems worldwide.
According to court documents, Xu acted under the direction of the Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB), a branch of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). The MSS and its regional bureaus are tasked with counterintelligence, foreign intelligence gathering, and enforcing the Chinese Communist Party’s domestic security apparatus. During the period of the alleged intrusions, Xu was employed by Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd., a company described as one of several Chinese firms used to carry out government-sponsored hacking operations. Among the other victims were an international law firm and a second Texas-based university.
The FBI claims that Xu operated under the direction of Chinese intelligence officials, often for economic gain as well as espionage. He now faces multiple charges under U.S. cybercrime statutes, each carrying potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
“This arrest highlights the United States’ persistent and tireless efforts to bring to justice hackers who target American universities and companies,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division.
Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, added, “The indictment alleges Xu was stealing critical COVID-19 research on behalf of the Chinese government at a time when that same government was withholding information about the virus and its origins.”
Brett Leatherman, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, emphasized the international nature of the operation: “This arrest, carried out with our Italian law enforcement partners, underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding Chinese Communist Party–sponsored hackers accountable for their crimes.”
Italy’s Ministry of Justice is now expected to issue its preliminary opinion on the extradition request by early next week. Under bilateral treaty obligations, the United States has 40 days from the date of arrest to formally submit the case file to Italian authorities.
Xu’s arrest has already added tension to U.S.–China relations, particularly as Washington continues to pressure Beijing on issues ranging from cyber espionage to lack of transparency during the pandemic.
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