The feds say they believe the Chinese government may be behind the theft of biological research specimens from a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center lab involving a Harvard University-sponsored Chinese student.

Zaosong Zheng, 29, is accused of stealing vials of biological material used in cancer research from Beth Israel’s Wenyi Wei lab and lying to federal agents earlier this month about the vials they found packed in his luggage for flight to Beijing.

Zheng, here on a Harvard University-sponsored J-1 visa, had earlier posted $15,000 cash bail, but was deemed a significant flight risk by Magistrate Judge David Hennessy Monday, and ordered held without bail. Hennessy chided the defendant during his detention hearing at U.S. District Court.

“The defendant’s conduct represents a serious breach of good faith commitment to Harvard and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,” Hennessy said. “It is a disgrace on them and this defendant caused it.”

Hennessy noted Zheng’s $2,000-a-month stipend from the Chinese government-run China Scholarship Council.

“According to the affidavit of (FBI) Special Agent Kara Spice, based on her 15 years of experience as an agent, the Chinese government, and I’m quoting, ‘uses postgraduate students and post-graduate researchers and professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to obtain and often steal intellectual property from the U.S.,” Hennessy said. “There is some evidence that that was going on here.”

Spice wrote in her affidavit that Zheng’s roommate, Jialin Li, an admitted cadet in the People’s Liberation Army of China who also works in the Beth Israel lab, said he knew of two other Chinese nationals who “smuggled cells” from the lab. At least one other was identified as a Harvard-sponsored visa holder.

“I believe, based on my training and experience, that Zheng’s appointment at (Beth Israel) was not an accident, and that he was knowingly gathering and collecting intellectual property from BIDMC, possibly on behalf of the Chinese government,” Spice wrote.

Harvard referred comment to Beth Israel, where a spokeswoman said the hospital is cooperating with prosecutors. Zheng’s public defender declined comment outside the courtroom. Chinese embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Zheng isn’t the only Chinese national accused of stealing trade secrets in federal court this year. A Lexington man born in China is fighting charges of stealing trade secrets from Massachusetts tech giant Analog Devices after pleading not guilty in June.