The casting was confirmed by director Roland Emmerich on his Twitter page , who added that he was "super excited" by the news.
Han, 45, will play the leader of the Chinese Space Squadron, Variety reported.
He joins Jessie Usher, Liam Hemsworth, William Fichtner and Charlotte Gainsbourg as new additions to the movie franchise.
Jeff Goldblum, Brent Spiner, Vivica A Fox and Judd Hirsch will all reprise their roles from the first film.
Shooting has already started on the sequel, with "Independence Day 2" expected to arrive in cinemas on June 24, 2016, the 20th anniversary of the original film.