A Chinese researcher has been charged with trying to steal medical reports funded by the US government and smuggle them back to China.

Yunhai Li, 35, who came to the US on a research scholar visa, is accused of trying to return home with a trove of sensitive research in a case that will probably heighten concerns about the espionage risk posed by Chinese students.

His arrest comes amid an escalating row between Donald Trump’s Republican base and the US president, who suggested he would let in 600,000 Chinese students as part of trade talks with Beijing.

The move has been rejected by some of Mr Trump’s most ardent supporters, who have sweepingly claimed the students act as spies for Beijing and argued that the decision goes against his anti-immigration agenda.

Mr Li faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted over charges related to the theft of trade secrets and tampering with a government record.

Since joining the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in 2022, a leading facility at the University of Texas, the post-doctoral researcher worked on projects funded by the national institutes of health and the department of defence.