The accused, with reported links to Hafnium and China’s Ministry of State Security, faces wire fraud and identity theft allegations.

Italy has decided to extradite a Chinese man wanted by US authorities on hacking charges that include the alleged theft of COVID-19 medical research, according to a person familiar with the matter. The decision follows an Italian court ruling earlier in May 2026.

US authorities accuse Xu Zewei of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with computer intrusions that allegedly took place between February 2020 and June 2021.

The US Justice Department says Xu was part of a team that had targeted US-based universities, immunologists and virologists working on vaccines, treatments and testing during the pandemic, at a time when governments were racing to respond to the unfamiliar virus threat and epidemiology. Sensitive materials taken from those researchers could have revealed early findings on vaccine design, therapeutic approaches, testing methods, and public-health responses, potentially giving Chinese authorities or affiliated actors insight into U.S. research before it became public.

Euronews reported that Xu was held in prison near Milan after his arrest, and identifies him as a former head of a Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd, a state-owned technology firm.

Prosecutors allege that Xu was linked in 2021 to Hafnium, a cyber-espionage group blamed for exploiting Microsoft Exchange flaws and compromising tens of thousands of servers in 2021, including systems in the United States. That association adds another layer to a case that already sits at the intersection of cybercrime, espionage and international diplomacy.

Reuters and other outlets report the DOJ alleging Xu reported to China’s Ministry of State Security, which had allegedly directed the hacking campaign. The case adds another chapter to the wider effort by US officials to pursue suspects tied to intrusions that targeted sensitive public-health research during the pandemic.

Italy’s government declined to comment on the extradition decision, which was first reported by Bloomberg. The case is likely to draw continued attention while centering on allegations involving some of the most sensitive research of the pandemic era.