A man who worked for the Chinese government was arrested on Monday and accused of fraudulently procuring a visa for another government employee so she could pose as a visiting scholar while covertly trying to recruit American scientists to work in China , the authorities said.

The man, Zhongsan Liu, 57, of Fort Lee, N.J., faces one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.

“We welcome foreign students and researchers, including from China, but we do not welcome visa fraud — especially on behalf of a government,” John C. Demers, assistant United States attorney general for national security, said in a statement Monday. “We will continue to confront Chinese government attempts to subvert American law to advance its own interests in diverting U.S. research and know-how to China.”

Mr. Liu and his lawyer, Martin S. Cohen, could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday night.