Family of Chinese research student feared kidnapped heading to Chicago

The family of a Chinese research student, who the FBI thinks may have been kidnapped, is due to arrive in the United States on Saturday. On arrival they'll be met by consular officials and taken to the university campus.

A photo of Zhang Yingying released by the police. [Photo: police.illinois.edu]

26-year-old Zhang Yingying was studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She was last seen on June 9 near the north end of the campus. Police say she caught a Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus, and got off at West Springfield and North Mathews avenues at 1:52 pm local time.

Since then she hasn't been seen.

At the time she went missing she was wearing a charcoal-colored baseball cap, a pink and white top, jeans and white tennis shoes and carrying a black backpack.

The FBI is investigating her disappearance as a case of kidnapping, said Campus police spokesman Patrick Wade.

They have appealed for any information about a white male who was in a car and stopped to talk to Zhang on Friday afternoon.

Almost one month into a year-long stint at the UIUC campus, Zhang's friends told police that she was heading to an apartment complex in Urbana to sign a lease.

A massive search was launched in Urbana in the US state of Illinois after Zhang's disappearance.