A Harvard professor accused of lying about receiving millions of dollars from the Chinese government for foreign research “fits a pattern” of China pilfering research and technology that’s “crucial to American national security,” foreign policy experts told the Herald on Tuesday.

FBI special agents on Tuesday arrested Charles Lieber at his Harvard University office. Lieber, a chemistry and chemical biology department chair, is accused of repeatedly lying about his participation in China’s Thousand Talents Plan and his affiliation with Wuhan University of Technology.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all. “This is happening all over the academic world,” said Derek Scissors of the American Enterprise Institute. “The Chinese are trying to steal knowledge and material that is crucial to American national security.”

The Harvard professor is also accused of failing to disclose that he has received millions of dollars from the Chinese government for foreign research.

“It certainly fits a pattern with China trying to attract people who have leading talents in areas that China has identified as strategically important,” said Scott Harold of the RAND Corporation, noting cutting-edge technology and research.

“The ruling Communist Party of the PRC wants what we have so they can get the upper hand on us,” Joseph Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office, said in a statement. “And while we are still confronted with traditional spies seeking our state secrets, often working under diplomatic cover or posing as everyday citizens, I can tell you China is also using what we call ‘non-traditional collectors’ such as professors, researchers, hackers and front companies.”

Lieber’s arrest comes as two Chinese nationals face charges of working on behalf of their government as sponsored research students in Boston.

“Make no mistake, the ruling Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China is highly strategic in their approach, and we are deeply concerned about American innovation, research, and cutting-edge technologies ending up in the wrong hands,” Bonavolonta said. He said it “needs to stop.”

“Economic espionage and the theft of trade secrets significantly hurts our academic institutions, businesses, jobs, and consumers, resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars in losses every year,” Boanvolonta said.