The "China Initiative" formally ended in February 2022.
We are compiling and consolidating content about the "China Initiative" in a new website under construction. The original content here will remain, but this page will no longer be updated. The migration will be gradual with a main page on the "China Initiative" and 12 timecards with the first timecard on its launch on November 1, 2018, to the last timecard on its formal end on February 23, 2022.
We value your feedback about the new web page and timecards on the "China Initiative." Please send your comments to [email protected]
We are compiling and consolidating content about the "China Initiative" in a new website under construction. The original content here will remain, but this page will no longer be updated. The migration will be gradual with a main page on the "China Initiative" and 12 timecards with the first timecard on its launch on November 1, 2018, to the last timecard on its formal end on February 23, 2022.
We value your feedback about the new web page and timecards on the "China Initiative." Please send your comments to [email protected]
Click on Image to be redirected to the new Timecard 1 web page
Visit the new webpage on the "China Initiative"
Click on Image to be redirected to the new web page on The "China Initiative"
APA Justice Calls for Release of Report on Review of "China Initiative"
Click image to view letter
On March 8, 2022, APA Justice sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, calling for the release of a report on the Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) review of the “China Initiative.” In the letter, we express our support for his announcement ending the “China Initiative” on February 23, 2022, and our appreciation for his openness and willingness to engage, listen, and respond to community concerns. Ending the “China Initiative” is a promising start to correct the harms caused by the initiative, apply lessons learned, and rebuild community trust and confidence that were lost in our law enforcement and judicial system. For transparency and to ensure an accurate understanding of the changes, we request the public release of a report memorializing the findings of his review of the program that began in November 2021.
Release of a report on the findings of the review is critically important to ease the broad concerns that the end of “China Initiative” is just in name but does not reflect a change in fact and substance. It will supplement Mr. Olsen's speech for the communities to move forward. It is common for the government to produce a written report to memorialize an important review such as that done for the “China Initiative.” It usually includes the defined scope, issues examined, process and methodology used, findings, recommended changes, decisions, and plans for implementation. Such a report would help to clarify, for example, the following questions:
Harms and wounds inflicted during and prior to the "China Initiative" are deep and wide spread in the Asian American and scientific communities, especially for academics of Chinese descent. It is imperative to start the process of healing and restoration of trust in the law enforcement and judicial system with transparency, accountability, and community engagement in moving forward.
Links and References
2022/09/29 The National Law Journal: The China Initiative May Have Finally Died—Killed Not by DOJ but the Courts
2202/04/12 Sampan: Concerns Linger Over China Initiative’s Fate
2022/04/08 Mother Jones: The DOJ’s China Initiative Dragnet Is Over. But the Aftereffects Will Be Felt for Years.
2022/04/03 The Wire China: The China Initiative is Over — Now What?
2022/03/28 Sampan: Justice Dept. Ends China Program
2022/03/15 Radio Free Asian | WHYNOT : Caught in the Crossfire: How the China Initiative subjected scientists to loyalty tests (video 16:39)
Radio Free Asian | 歪脑: 大国夹缝中：“中国行动计划”下科学家面临的忠诚拷问 (video 16:39)
2022/03/10 SupChina: The China Initiative is dead, but its repercussions live on
2022/03/08 APA Justice: Release of Report on DOJ’s Review of the “China Initiative”
Release of a report on the findings of the review is critically important to ease the broad concerns that the end of “China Initiative” is just in name but does not reflect a change in fact and substance. It will supplement Mr. Olsen's speech for the communities to move forward. It is common for the government to produce a written report to memorialize an important review such as that done for the “China Initiative.” It usually includes the defined scope, issues examined, process and methodology used, findings, recommended changes, decisions, and plans for implementation. Such a report would help to clarify, for example, the following questions:
- What was the scope of the “China Initiative” review?
- What is the new supervising role for the National Security Division?
- Will DOJ-wide implicit bias training be restarted?
- How thorough were existing prosecutions and investigations reviewed?
- Did the review cover allegations of DOJ and FBI misconduct?
Harms and wounds inflicted during and prior to the "China Initiative" are deep and wide spread in the Asian American and scientific communities, especially for academics of Chinese descent. It is imperative to start the process of healing and restoration of trust in the law enforcement and judicial system with transparency, accountability, and community engagement in moving forward.
Links and References
2022/09/29 The National Law Journal: The China Initiative May Have Finally Died—Killed Not by DOJ but the Courts
2202/04/12 Sampan: Concerns Linger Over China Initiative’s Fate
2022/04/08 Mother Jones: The DOJ’s China Initiative Dragnet Is Over. But the Aftereffects Will Be Felt for Years.
2022/04/03 The Wire China: The China Initiative is Over — Now What?
2022/03/28 Sampan: Justice Dept. Ends China Program
2022/03/15 Radio Free Asian | WHYNOT : Caught in the Crossfire: How the China Initiative subjected scientists to loyalty tests (video 16:39)
Radio Free Asian | 歪脑: 大国夹缝中：“中国行动计划”下科学家面临的忠诚拷问 (video 16:39)
2022/03/10 SupChina: The China Initiative is dead, but its repercussions live on
2022/03/08 APA Justice: Release of Report on DOJ’s Review of the “China Initiative”
Community Townhall: The End of The "China Initiative"
EVENT: The End of The "China Initiative"
WHEN: March 17, 2022, 3 pm ET/12 noon PT
WHAT: Online Townhall
DESCRIPTION: An open forum for community members to ask a panel of experts questions about the recent announcement from the Department of Justice to end the "China Initiative." Event was not recorded.
APA Justice Statement Issued During The Townhall:
Thank you, Advancing Justice | AAJC, for organizing this townhall.
The APA Justice Task Force fully supports the end of the “China Initiative.” We appreciate the Department of Justice’s openness and willingness to engage, listen, and respond to community concerns.
Ending the “China Initiative” is a promising start to correct the harms caused by the initiative, apply lessons learned, and rebuild community trust and confidence that were lost in our law enforcement and judicial system.
But we emphasize that this is just a start.
We, like many other organizations and individuals, have broad concerns that the end of the initiative is just in name but does not reflect a change in fact and substance.
On March 8, we wrote to Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen and requested the public release of a report memorializing the findings of his review. We raised five basic questions, including the scope of his review, the new role for the National Security Division, the re-start of implicit bias training, the thoroughness of the thousands of existing prosecutions and investigations, and whether the review covered allegations of DOJ and FBI misconduct.
Mr. Olsen’s response will go a long way to help us move forward. We will stay vigilant and continue to stand up and speak out. Our mission is not complete.
We need our government and our university administrations to be transparent, accountable, and operate with fairness and integrity.
APA Justice will focus on three main areas moving forward.
The 1,210 days of the “China Initiative” have been extremely damaging to individuals and their families, as well as the Asian American and scientific communities.
We sincerely hope that the end of the “China Initiative” will bring real change, start the healing process, and rebuild the lost trust. We look forward to work with many of you in this important journey. Thank you.
Links and References
2022/03/17 APA Justice: Statement on the End of the "China Initiative"
AAFEN: Statement on the End of the "China Initiative"
WHEN: March 17, 2022, 3 pm ET/12 noon PT
WHAT: Online Townhall
DESCRIPTION: An open forum for community members to ask a panel of experts questions about the recent announcement from the Department of Justice to end the "China Initiative." Event was not recorded.
APA Justice Statement Issued During The Townhall:
Thank you, Advancing Justice | AAJC, for organizing this townhall.
The APA Justice Task Force fully supports the end of the “China Initiative.” We appreciate the Department of Justice’s openness and willingness to engage, listen, and respond to community concerns.
Ending the “China Initiative” is a promising start to correct the harms caused by the initiative, apply lessons learned, and rebuild community trust and confidence that were lost in our law enforcement and judicial system.
But we emphasize that this is just a start.
We, like many other organizations and individuals, have broad concerns that the end of the initiative is just in name but does not reflect a change in fact and substance.
On March 8, we wrote to Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen and requested the public release of a report memorializing the findings of his review. We raised five basic questions, including the scope of his review, the new role for the National Security Division, the re-start of implicit bias training, the thoroughness of the thousands of existing prosecutions and investigations, and whether the review covered allegations of DOJ and FBI misconduct.
Mr. Olsen’s response will go a long way to help us move forward. We will stay vigilant and continue to stand up and speak out. Our mission is not complete.
We need our government and our university administrations to be transparent, accountable, and operate with fairness and integrity.
APA Justice will focus on three main areas moving forward.
- We call for Congress to exercise its oversight role to hold law enforcement and federal agencies accountable. We thank the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for its continuing leadership.
- We fully support the initiative started by the Office of Science and Technology Policy to ensure that the new policies related to research security will not fuel xenophobia or prejudice.
- We will urge university administrations to inform, assist, and protect their faculty members. Apply fair and due process. Do not cave and do not throw your faculty members under the bus.
The 1,210 days of the “China Initiative” have been extremely damaging to individuals and their families, as well as the Asian American and scientific communities.
We sincerely hope that the end of the “China Initiative” will bring real change, start the healing process, and rebuild the lost trust. We look forward to work with many of you in this important journey. Thank you.
Links and References
2022/03/17 APA Justice: Statement on the End of the "China Initiative"
AAFEN: Statement on the End of the "China Initiative"
"China Initiative" Ends
On February 23, 2022, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Matthew G. Olsen, announced the end of the “China Initiative,” a program that was meant to address economic espionage but morphed into disproportionately targeting Asian Americans and academic communities for administrative errors and harming academic freedom and open science. While we disagree with Mr. Olsen’s self-assessment that the DOJ did not find racial bias in “China Initiative” cases, we welcome the end of the ill-conceived initiative and DOJ’s openness to listen and respond to community concerns.
The work to address racial profiling against Asian Americans is far from over; in fact, it is just beginning. The flawed “China Initiative” has caused immeasurable damage to victims, and eroded the trust and confidence Asian American and academic communities placed in law enforcement. We urge transparency and accountability going forward. APA Justice is committed to continuing our work on these important issues.
In January 2021, APA Justice along with Asian American Advancing Justice | AAJC and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School sent a letter to then President-elect Biden, urging him to end the “China Initiative” and take further steps to combat systemic racial bias and targeting of Asian American and immigrant scientists, researchers, and students. The initiative has been (1) ineffective in achieving its stated goals to combat economic espionage and trade secret theft, (2) counter-productive against open science and US leadership in science and technology, (3) discriminatory against Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists and students, and (4) un-American in its lack of transparency, accountability, oversight, and integrity.
Moving forward, we urge the DOJ, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP), and federal funding agencies to engage in dialogue with Asian American and academic community leaders, be responsive to public Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and inquiries, and provide facts and data to support their policies and practices. We hope this is the beginning of real change to reduce systemic prejudice and bias and focus on legitimate national security threats. We are encouraged by the progress made by OSTP to develop and implement fair and consistent reporting requirements that will not “diminish our superpower of attracting global scientific talent” and not “fuel xenophobia against Asian Americans.” More needs to be done for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to be fully engaged with the Asian American and scientific communities.
In addition to transparency, APA Justice strongly believes that the federal government must be held accountable for its misconduct and abuse of power. Unfortunately, the DOJ has not provided remedies for the impacted communities to heal and regain trust in the government, or offered an apology or support to the scientists who were falsely charged and suffered tremendous damage personally and professionally. The aggressive prosecutions and investigations by the DOJ and FBI have had innumerable and devastating effects for families, friends, colleagues, and community members. Congress and the public must hold our institutions accountable for misconduct and misguided policies.
The DOJ must work to rebuild trust with the people it serves, particularly the Asian American and academic communities. They have been terrorized over the past three years under the “China Initiative.” We were encouraged that the DOJ acknowledged the chilling effect across academia, and believe that by advancing transparency and accountability, the U.S. government will send a signal that America is indeed the shining beacon of freedom and justice for all.
APA Justice would like to thank the tremendous support from members of Congress and community partners in civil rights and academia who have worked tirelessly to support the victims and advocate for changes to the “China Initiative.” APA Justice is committed to fostering the ecosystem to effectively address racial profiling concerns and advocate for justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. In the pursuit of this goal, we hope to achieve a brighter tomorrow for our nation.
Links and References
2022/03/23 Physics World: US Department of Justice reframes controversial China Initiative
2022/03/09 WebMD: Arrests, Cries of Racial Profiling End Feds' China Initiative
2022/03/04 Lawfare: U.S. Justice Department Puts an End to Controversial China Initiative
2022/03/03 Chemical & Engineering News: US Justice Department revamps China Initiative
Asian American Scholar Forum: Asian American Scholar Forum Welcomes the End of China Initiative
2022/02/28 Science: Controversial U.S. China Initiative gets new name, tighter focus on industrial espionage
80-20: DOJ's Review Report On "China Initiative" Insulted AsAms' Intelligence
2022/02/27 National Law Review: DOJ Ends “China Initiative” Targeting Economic Espionage
2022/02/26 北美新视界: UCA就司法部终止“中国行动计划”发表声明
2022/02/25 Yale Daily News: DOJ announces end of Trump-era China Initiative
American Institute of Physics: Discarding ‘China Initiative’ Label, DOJ Pledges Prosecutorial Restraint on Research Security
Asian American Academy of Science and Technology: The Contributions of Asian Americans in U.S. Science and Enginneering
The Harvard Crimson: Justice Department to End China Initiative, which Brought Down Lieber
2022/02/24 APA Justice: Statement on DOJ Announcement to End the “China Initiative”
Nature: The controversial China Initiative is ending — researchers are relieved
Quincy Institute: DOJ needs to investigate past discrimination against Asian Americans
Politico: DOJ’s ‘China Initiative’ is dead but racial profiling fears are still very much alive
Wired: The US Fixation on Chinese Espionage Is Bad for Science
UCA: UCA Applaud Demise of DOJ’s China Initiative, Calling for Accountability Under the New Guideline
House Science Committee: Chairwoman Johnson Statement on Justice Department Decision to End The China Initiative
Science editorial: The China Initiative must end
Science editorial: We Are All Gang Chen
SupChina: DOJ scraps the China Initiative
俄州亚太联盟: 美国政府为何终止臭名昭著的“中国行动”
美国之音: 美司法部结束“中国行动计划” 中国威胁仍是打击重点
2022/02/23 Committee of 100: Comments on the Department of Justice’s Changes to the China Initiative
Advancing Justice|AAJC: Commends End to China Initiative, Calls for Transparency and Vows to Watch Dismantling Closely
ACLU: ACLU Commends Biden Administration for Ending Discriminatory “China Initiative,” But Fundamental Reforms Are Still Needed
MIT Technology Review: The US government is ending the China Initiative. Now what?
OCA: Asian American Civil Rights Groups Express Cautious Optimism After DOJ Concludes Review of China Initiative
Washington Post: Justice Department shutters China Initiative, launches broader strategy to counter nation-state threats
NBC News: DOJ abandons Trump-era program aimed at Chinese spying
Protocol: DOJ revises Trump's China-focused anti-espionage initiative
National Review: DOJ Cancels Program Aimed at Curbing Chinese IP Theft over Discrimination Concerns
Chronicle of Higher Education: U.S. Department of Justice Ends Controversial Probe of Researchers’ China Ties
Law360: DOJ Axes Troubled 'China Initiative' After String Of Dismissals
South China Morning Post: US Justice Department ends ‘China Initiative’ amid concerns over racial bias and a culture of fear
Fox News: Biden DOJ ending national security initiative aimed at countering China amid complaints about bias
New York Times: Justice Dept. to End Trump-Era Initiative to Deter Chinese Threats
CBS News: Justice Department drops China spy initiative as past target speaks out
AP: US drops name of Trump’s ‘China Initiative’ after criticism
NPR: The Justice Department is ending its controversial China Initiative
CAPAC: CAPAC Members Welcome End of China Initiative
Reuters: U.S. Justice Department to end Trump-era program targeting threats posed by China
CNN: Justice Department ends Trump-era China Initiative following bias concerns
Axios: Lawmakers and advocates say ending China Initiative a "first step" for DOJ
Axios: DOJ ends China Initiative after racial profiling accusations
The Hill: DOJ scraps Trump-era China Initiative for broader national security program
DOJ: Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen Delivers Remarks on Countering Nation-State Threats
2022/02/22 Antiwar.com: Is DoJ’s ‘China Initiative’ Going Away? Don’t Bet on It
2022/02/18 The Diplomat opinion: It’s Time to Put the DOJ’s China Initiative on Trial
2022/02/17 Reuters: Analysis: Trump's targeting of Chinese academics likely will not last after DOJ review
2022/02/13 Foreign Policy: How the China Initiative Went Wrong
The work to address racial profiling against Asian Americans is far from over; in fact, it is just beginning. The flawed “China Initiative” has caused immeasurable damage to victims, and eroded the trust and confidence Asian American and academic communities placed in law enforcement. We urge transparency and accountability going forward. APA Justice is committed to continuing our work on these important issues.
In January 2021, APA Justice along with Asian American Advancing Justice | AAJC and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School sent a letter to then President-elect Biden, urging him to end the “China Initiative” and take further steps to combat systemic racial bias and targeting of Asian American and immigrant scientists, researchers, and students. The initiative has been (1) ineffective in achieving its stated goals to combat economic espionage and trade secret theft, (2) counter-productive against open science and US leadership in science and technology, (3) discriminatory against Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists and students, and (4) un-American in its lack of transparency, accountability, oversight, and integrity.
Moving forward, we urge the DOJ, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP), and federal funding agencies to engage in dialogue with Asian American and academic community leaders, be responsive to public Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and inquiries, and provide facts and data to support their policies and practices. We hope this is the beginning of real change to reduce systemic prejudice and bias and focus on legitimate national security threats. We are encouraged by the progress made by OSTP to develop and implement fair and consistent reporting requirements that will not “diminish our superpower of attracting global scientific talent” and not “fuel xenophobia against Asian Americans.” More needs to be done for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to be fully engaged with the Asian American and scientific communities.
In addition to transparency, APA Justice strongly believes that the federal government must be held accountable for its misconduct and abuse of power. Unfortunately, the DOJ has not provided remedies for the impacted communities to heal and regain trust in the government, or offered an apology or support to the scientists who were falsely charged and suffered tremendous damage personally and professionally. The aggressive prosecutions and investigations by the DOJ and FBI have had innumerable and devastating effects for families, friends, colleagues, and community members. Congress and the public must hold our institutions accountable for misconduct and misguided policies.
The DOJ must work to rebuild trust with the people it serves, particularly the Asian American and academic communities. They have been terrorized over the past three years under the “China Initiative.” We were encouraged that the DOJ acknowledged the chilling effect across academia, and believe that by advancing transparency and accountability, the U.S. government will send a signal that America is indeed the shining beacon of freedom and justice for all.
APA Justice would like to thank the tremendous support from members of Congress and community partners in civil rights and academia who have worked tirelessly to support the victims and advocate for changes to the “China Initiative.” APA Justice is committed to fostering the ecosystem to effectively address racial profiling concerns and advocate for justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. In the pursuit of this goal, we hope to achieve a brighter tomorrow for our nation.
Links and References
2022/03/23 Physics World: US Department of Justice reframes controversial China Initiative
2022/03/09 WebMD: Arrests, Cries of Racial Profiling End Feds' China Initiative
2022/03/04 Lawfare: U.S. Justice Department Puts an End to Controversial China Initiative
2022/03/03 Chemical & Engineering News: US Justice Department revamps China Initiative
Asian American Scholar Forum: Asian American Scholar Forum Welcomes the End of China Initiative
2022/02/28 Science: Controversial U.S. China Initiative gets new name, tighter focus on industrial espionage
80-20: DOJ's Review Report On "China Initiative" Insulted AsAms' Intelligence
2022/02/27 National Law Review: DOJ Ends “China Initiative” Targeting Economic Espionage
2022/02/26 北美新视界: UCA就司法部终止“中国行动计划”发表声明
2022/02/25 Yale Daily News: DOJ announces end of Trump-era China Initiative
American Institute of Physics: Discarding ‘China Initiative’ Label, DOJ Pledges Prosecutorial Restraint on Research Security
Asian American Academy of Science and Technology: The Contributions of Asian Americans in U.S. Science and Enginneering
The Harvard Crimson: Justice Department to End China Initiative, which Brought Down Lieber
2022/02/24 APA Justice: Statement on DOJ Announcement to End the “China Initiative”
Nature: The controversial China Initiative is ending — researchers are relieved
Quincy Institute: DOJ needs to investigate past discrimination against Asian Americans
Politico: DOJ’s ‘China Initiative’ is dead but racial profiling fears are still very much alive
Wired: The US Fixation on Chinese Espionage Is Bad for Science
UCA: UCA Applaud Demise of DOJ’s China Initiative, Calling for Accountability Under the New Guideline
House Science Committee: Chairwoman Johnson Statement on Justice Department Decision to End The China Initiative
Science editorial: The China Initiative must end
Science editorial: We Are All Gang Chen
SupChina: DOJ scraps the China Initiative
俄州亚太联盟: 美国政府为何终止臭名昭著的“中国行动”
美国之音: 美司法部结束“中国行动计划” 中国威胁仍是打击重点
2022/02/23 Committee of 100: Comments on the Department of Justice’s Changes to the China Initiative
Advancing Justice|AAJC: Commends End to China Initiative, Calls for Transparency and Vows to Watch Dismantling Closely
ACLU: ACLU Commends Biden Administration for Ending Discriminatory “China Initiative,” But Fundamental Reforms Are Still Needed
MIT Technology Review: The US government is ending the China Initiative. Now what?
OCA: Asian American Civil Rights Groups Express Cautious Optimism After DOJ Concludes Review of China Initiative
Washington Post: Justice Department shutters China Initiative, launches broader strategy to counter nation-state threats
NBC News: DOJ abandons Trump-era program aimed at Chinese spying
Protocol: DOJ revises Trump's China-focused anti-espionage initiative
National Review: DOJ Cancels Program Aimed at Curbing Chinese IP Theft over Discrimination Concerns
Chronicle of Higher Education: U.S. Department of Justice Ends Controversial Probe of Researchers’ China Ties
Law360: DOJ Axes Troubled 'China Initiative' After String Of Dismissals
South China Morning Post: US Justice Department ends ‘China Initiative’ amid concerns over racial bias and a culture of fear
Fox News: Biden DOJ ending national security initiative aimed at countering China amid complaints about bias
New York Times: Justice Dept. to End Trump-Era Initiative to Deter Chinese Threats
CBS News: Justice Department drops China spy initiative as past target speaks out
AP: US drops name of Trump’s ‘China Initiative’ after criticism
NPR: The Justice Department is ending its controversial China Initiative
CAPAC: CAPAC Members Welcome End of China Initiative
Reuters: U.S. Justice Department to end Trump-era program targeting threats posed by China
CNN: Justice Department ends Trump-era China Initiative following bias concerns
Axios: Lawmakers and advocates say ending China Initiative a "first step" for DOJ
Axios: DOJ ends China Initiative after racial profiling accusations
The Hill: DOJ scraps Trump-era China Initiative for broader national security program
DOJ: Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen Delivers Remarks on Countering Nation-State Threats
2022/02/22 Antiwar.com: Is DoJ’s ‘China Initiative’ Going Away? Don’t Bet on It
2022/02/18 The Diplomat opinion: It’s Time to Put the DOJ’s China Initiative on Trial
2022/02/17 Reuters: Analysis: Trump's targeting of Chinese academics likely will not last after DOJ review
2022/02/13 Foreign Policy: How the China Initiative Went Wrong
MIT Technology Review Analysis of "China Initiative" Cases
Click image to view graph
On December 2, 2021, MIT Technology Review published The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.
According to the report, the US government’s China Initiative sought to protect national security. In the most comprehensive analysis of cases to date, MIT Technology Review reveals how far it has strayed from its goals.
Among its major findings are:
Two days after MIT Technology Review requested comment from the DOJ regarding the initiative, the department made significant changes to its own list of cases, adding some and deleting 39 defendants previously connected to the China Initiative from its website. This included several instances where the government had announced prosecutions with great fanfare, only for the cases to fail —including one that was dismissed by a judge after a mistrial.
The MIT Technology Review database of 77 "China Initiative" cases is posted online and can be used for interactive analysis. It draws primarily on the press releases that have been added to the DOJ’s China Initiative webpage over the last three years, including those recently removed from its public pages. The MIT Technology Review supplemented this information with court records and interviews with defense attorneys, defendants’ family members, collaborating researchers, former US prosecutors, civil rights advocates, lawmakers, and outside scholars who have studied the initiative.
APA Justice provided assistance to verify and validate the 77 "China Initiative" cases before the removal of some cases by DOJ. MIT Technology Review provides a second full report titled We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records on how the database was built, what DOJ changed in its online report, and how the database is organized, including a statement on transparency and conflict-of-interest.
Links and References
2021/12/07 Union of Concerned Scientists: New MIT Report Foretells Danger of China Competitiveness Legislation
2021/12/03 Andrew Lelling (LinkedIn): DOJ should revamp, and shut down, parts of the program
2021/12/02 MIT Technology Review: The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.
MIT Technology Review: We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records.
According to the report, the US government’s China Initiative sought to protect national security. In the most comprehensive analysis of cases to date, MIT Technology Review reveals how far it has strayed from its goals.
Among its major findings are:
- The DOJ has neither officially defined the China Initiative nor explained what leads it to label a case as part of the initiative
- The initiative’s focus increasingly has moved away from economic espionage and hacking cases to “research integrity” issues, such as failures to fully disclose foreign affiliations on forms
- A significant number of research integrity cases have been dropped or dismissed
- Only about a quarter of people and institutions charged under the China Initiative have been convicted
- Many cases have little or no obvious connection to national security or the theft of trade secrets
- Nearly 90% of the defendants charged under the initiative are of Chinese heritage
- Although new activity appears to have slowed since Donald Trump lost the 2020 US presidential election, prosecutions and new cases continue under the Biden administration
- The Department of Justice does not list all cases believed to be part of the China Initiative on its webpage and has deleted others linked to the project.
Two days after MIT Technology Review requested comment from the DOJ regarding the initiative, the department made significant changes to its own list of cases, adding some and deleting 39 defendants previously connected to the China Initiative from its website. This included several instances where the government had announced prosecutions with great fanfare, only for the cases to fail —including one that was dismissed by a judge after a mistrial.
The MIT Technology Review database of 77 "China Initiative" cases is posted online and can be used for interactive analysis. It draws primarily on the press releases that have been added to the DOJ’s China Initiative webpage over the last three years, including those recently removed from its public pages. The MIT Technology Review supplemented this information with court records and interviews with defense attorneys, defendants’ family members, collaborating researchers, former US prosecutors, civil rights advocates, lawmakers, and outside scholars who have studied the initiative.
APA Justice provided assistance to verify and validate the 77 "China Initiative" cases before the removal of some cases by DOJ. MIT Technology Review provides a second full report titled We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records on how the database was built, what DOJ changed in its online report, and how the database is organized, including a statement on transparency and conflict-of-interest.
Links and References
2021/12/07 Union of Concerned Scientists: New MIT Report Foretells Danger of China Competitiveness Legislation
2021/12/03 Andrew Lelling (LinkedIn): DOJ should revamp, and shut down, parts of the program
2021/12/02 MIT Technology Review: The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.
MIT Technology Review: We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records.
Two Requests to AG Garland on the Review of the "China Initiative"
On January 21, 2022, APA Justice sent a letter to Attorney General Garland, adding 357 co-signers who joined the nationwide campaign since the original letter was sent on November 3, 2021, bringing the total to over 2,600 faculty members, scholars, and administrators from 230 institutions
across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We also submit this information as addendum to the letter to AG Garland on November 24, 2021, requesting its inclusion as part of the ongoing review of the “China Initiative” being conducted by Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen.
across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We also submit this information as addendum to the letter to AG Garland on November 24, 2021, requesting its inclusion as part of the ongoing review of the “China Initiative” being conducted by Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen.
Click on image to read the letter
On November 24, 2021, APA Justice sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, making two requests on the pending review of the "China Initiative:"
Qualified endorsers can join the campaign here: https://bit.ly/EndorseStanfordLetter. Read the APA Justice letter here: https://bit.ly/3DVGyMG
Links and References
2021/12/02 MIT Technology Review: The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.
MIT Technology Review: We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records.
2021/11/28 New York Times: As U.S. Hunts for Chinese Spies, University Scientists Warn of Backlash
- To ensure credibility and integrity for the review process, we request the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release the official scope and boundaries of the “China Initiative” and a complete list and a formal count of the “China Initiative” cases since the program was launched in November 2018. An unannounced and unexplained update of the DOJ online "China Initiative" report on November 19, 2021 shows the removal of about 20 cases from previous record, including the dismissed or acquitted cases of 7 scientists and researchers - Anming Hu, Qing Wang, Chen Song, Xin Wang, Juan Tang, Kaikai Zhao, and Guan Lei.
- We request the DOJ to include letters and comments from almost 2,000 faculty members, scholars, and administrators nationwide as part of the thorough review of the “China Initiative.” As of November 23, 2021, a total of 1,959 faculty members from 223 institutions nationwide have endorsed the Stanford letter and joined the call to end the "China Initiative." The nationwide campaign is continuing until the "China Initiative" has ended. The latest counts and comments are posted publicly online at https://bit.ly/3wwrD8A.
Qualified endorsers can join the campaign here: https://bit.ly/EndorseStanfordLetter. Read the APA Justice letter here: https://bit.ly/3DVGyMG
Links and References
2021/12/02 MIT Technology Review: The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.
MIT Technology Review: We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records.
2021/11/28 New York Times: As U.S. Hunts for Chinese Spies, University Scientists Warn of Backlash
Jumpstart Your Knowledge About The "China Initiative"
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The China Initiative: The Ethnic Targeting of Chinese Scientists and the Subsequent Brain Drain (video 7:30)
7-minute video aimed to educate the general public on increasing discrimination faced by Chinese scientists under the Department of Justice's China Initiative, and to highlight the many scientific accomplishments they have contributed to U.S. institutions of higher education and research. Source: SupChina |
Scientists in the crosshairs: How to avoid getting snared in the U.S. crackdown on ‘China Ties’ (video 21:04)
Interviewees included Dr. David Ho, Columbia University’s Clyde and Helen Wu Professor of Medicine; Michael A. Szonyi, Director of the Harvard University Fairbank Center; Catherine X. Pan, head of Dorsey & Whitney’s U.S.-China practice; and Frank Wu, President of Queens College and a Serica Initiative board member, among others. Source: SupChina |
Final Tally - 03/03/2022Endorsers of Stanford Letter Stanford University: 177 University of California Berkeley: 214 Temple University: 167 Princeton University: 198 University of Michigan: 430 Southern Illinois University Faculty Senate: 53 Yale University: 192 University of California Irvine: 92 University of Pennsylvania: 168* Baylor College of Medicine: 219 APA Justice nationwide campaign: 1,209 Total: 3,119 * Updated on 2022/02/12 Number of Institutions Stanford University: 1 University of California Berkeley: 1 Temple University: 1 Princeton University: 1 University of Michigan: 1 Southern Illinois University: 1 Yale University: 1 University of California Irvine: 1 University of Pennsylvania: 1 Baylor College of Medicine: 1 APA Justice nationwide campaign: 231 Number of States/Territories States: 50 District of Columbia Puerto Rico Change.org Supporters: 244 |
Endorser Count by Institution
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Comments by Endorsers
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Faculty Nationwide Calls for AG Garland to End The "China Initiative"
Click image to view
On November 3, 2021, a coalition of 841 faculty members, scholars, and administrators from 202 universities and educational institutions across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico sent an open letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling for the termination of the "China Initiative." They joined 579 colleagues from University of California Berkeley, Temple University, and Princeton University who endorsed the initial letter sent by 177 Stanford University faculty members, including 8 Nobel laureates, on September 8, 2021.
On January 21, 2022, APA Justice sent a letter to Attorney General Garland, adding 357 co-signers who joined the nationwide campaign since the original letter was sent on November 3, 2021. We also added faculty letters from the University of Michigan, Southern Illinois University, and Yale University, bringing the total to over 2,600 faculty members, scholars, and administrators from 230 institutions across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
APA Justice kept the sign-on form at https://bit.ly/EndorseStanfordLetter open and continue to urge all qualified endorsers to sign on until the "China Initiative" ended on February 23, 2022.
Links and References
2022/03/01 Baylor College of Medicine: 219 faculty members open letter to AG Garland
2022/02/11 Daily Pennsylvanian: Over 150 Penn faculty rebuke U.S. government for racial profiling of Chinese academics
2022/02/02 University of Pennsylvania: Letter to AG Garland
University of Pennsylvania: Letter to UPenn Administration
2022/02/01 Yale Daily News: DOJ weighs China Initiative as Yale faculty sign onto open letter calling for its dissolution
2022/01/31 University of California Irvine: Letter to AG Garland
2022/01/21 APA Justice: Additional Faculty Members Nationwide Call for End of “China Initiative”
2022/01/10 Yale University: Letter to AG Garland
2021/12/03 Asian American Unity Coalition: Letter to AG Garland
2021/11/09 Southern Illinois University: Faculty Senate endorsed Stanford letter
2021/11/03 APA Justice: Nationwide Faculty Members Support Stanford Colleagues' Call to End the "China Initiative"
2021/11/01 Federation of Associations of Chinese Professors: Letter to President Biden
2021/10/25 University of Michigan: 430 faculty members open letter to AG Garland
2021/10/18 Winds of Freedom: 198 faculty members of Princeton University endorsed Stanford letter
2021/10/12 Winds of Freedom: 167 faculty members of Temple University endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/30 Winds of Freedom: 214 faculty members of UC Berkeley endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/12 Reuters: Stanford professors urge U.S. to end program looking for Chinese spies in academia
2021/09/08 Winds of Freedom: Stanford Faculty Members Open Letter to AG Garland to End the "China Initiative"
2021/09/01 American Physical Society: Letter to AG Garland and OSTP Director Eric Lander
On January 21, 2022, APA Justice sent a letter to Attorney General Garland, adding 357 co-signers who joined the nationwide campaign since the original letter was sent on November 3, 2021. We also added faculty letters from the University of Michigan, Southern Illinois University, and Yale University, bringing the total to over 2,600 faculty members, scholars, and administrators from 230 institutions across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
APA Justice kept the sign-on form at https://bit.ly/EndorseStanfordLetter open and continue to urge all qualified endorsers to sign on until the "China Initiative" ended on February 23, 2022.
Links and References
2022/03/01 Baylor College of Medicine: 219 faculty members open letter to AG Garland
2022/02/11 Daily Pennsylvanian: Over 150 Penn faculty rebuke U.S. government for racial profiling of Chinese academics
2022/02/02 University of Pennsylvania: Letter to AG Garland
University of Pennsylvania: Letter to UPenn Administration
2022/02/01 Yale Daily News: DOJ weighs China Initiative as Yale faculty sign onto open letter calling for its dissolution
2022/01/31 University of California Irvine: Letter to AG Garland
2022/01/21 APA Justice: Additional Faculty Members Nationwide Call for End of “China Initiative”
2022/01/10 Yale University: Letter to AG Garland
2021/12/03 Asian American Unity Coalition: Letter to AG Garland
2021/11/09 Southern Illinois University: Faculty Senate endorsed Stanford letter
2021/11/03 APA Justice: Nationwide Faculty Members Support Stanford Colleagues' Call to End the "China Initiative"
2021/11/01 Federation of Associations of Chinese Professors: Letter to President Biden
2021/10/25 University of Michigan: 430 faculty members open letter to AG Garland
2021/10/18 Winds of Freedom: 198 faculty members of Princeton University endorsed Stanford letter
2021/10/12 Winds of Freedom: 167 faculty members of Temple University endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/30 Winds of Freedom: 214 faculty members of UC Berkeley endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/12 Reuters: Stanford professors urge U.S. to end program looking for Chinese spies in academia
2021/09/08 Winds of Freedom: Stanford Faculty Members Open Letter to AG Garland to End the "China Initiative"
2021/09/01 American Physical Society: Letter to AG Garland and OSTP Director Eric Lander
What you can do to endorse* the Stanford University faculty letter:
Key identified flaws of the "China Initiative" according to the Stanford letter:
- Sign on to this nationwide campaign: https://bit.ly/EndorseStanfordLetter
- Follow the Instructions in the Winds of Freedom website on further action to endorse the Stanford letter or send your own letter: https://bit.ly/38ZxKre
Key identified flaws of the "China Initiative" according to the Stanford letter:
- The "China Initiative" disproportionally targets researchers of Chinese origin.
- In most of the "China Initiative" cases involving academics, the alleged crime has nothing to do with scientific espionage or intellectual property theft.
- The "China Initiative" is harming the U.S. science and technology enterprise and the future of the U.S. STEM workforce.
Click on image to view the letter
On September 8, 2021, a group of 177 Stanford University faculty members from more than 40 departments, including 8 Nobel laureates, sent an open letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, requesting that he terminate the Department of Justice's "China Initiative."
While acknowledging the importance to U.S. of protecting both intellectual property and information that is essential to our national and economic security, the faculty members express their concerns of racial profiling and the harm to the United States' research and technology competitiveness. The initiative has led to a significant increase of investigations and prosecutions to researchers in academia, with most cases unrelated to intellectual property theft or scientific/economic espionage. The investigations have been disproportionately targeting researchers of Chinese origin. According to the letter, the chilling effect of the "China Initiative" is discouraging many scholars from coming to or staying in the U.S. Therefore, the "China Initiative" should be terminated.
The Stanford faculty members have created a website to host the open letter and provide background and other related information. The name "Winds of Freedom" for the website comes from the Stanford motto "Die Luft der Freiheit weht" ("The Winds of Freedom Blow").
Since September 8, 214 UC Berkeley faculty members, 167 Temple University faculty members, and 198 Princeton faculty members have joined and sent their letters to AG Garland.
Starting on October 14, 2021, APA Justice launched a campaign and call for additional faculty members and qualified endorsers* from universities and educational institutions across the U.S. to endorse the Stanford letter. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/EndorseStanfordLetter.
* For the purpose of this campaign, a qualified endorser is defined as a person with the current or former rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, lecturer, scholar, or administrator, who has a valid and verifiable .edu email address at an accredited university or similar educational institution in the United States. Titles and associations are for identification only; endorsers do not represent the university or institution. Where judgment on the status of an endorser may be needed, final decision will be made by the organizers of this campaign.
Links and References
2021/10/31 APA Justice: Draft Letter to AG Garland Calling for End of the "China Initiative"
2021/10/22 Asian American Scholar Forum: Call for Your support on Open Letters to End “China Initiative”
2021/10/18 Winds of Freedom: 198 faculty members of Princeton University endorsed Stanford letter
Stanford Review: Stanford Professors Respond to the Review on DOJ's China Initiative
2021/10/15 Ohio Chinese American Association 俄州亚太联盟: 邀请全美大学教职员联署斯坦福给美司法部长的信
2021/10/14 APA Justice: Sign on to Endorse Stanford Letter to AG Garland to End DOJ's "China Initiative"
Change.org: Endorse Stanford Faculty Letter to End "China Initiative" Now
2021/10/12 Winds of Freedom: 167 faculty members of Temple University endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/30 Winds of Freedom: 214 faculty members of UC Berkeley endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/15 Indian Express: Explained: Why academics are urging US to end initiative looking for ‘Chinese spies’ in universities
2021/09/14 Fox News: Stanford faculty denounce DOJ China Initiative, seek end to screening of Chinese researchers for spy threats
Guardian: Abolish Trump-era ‘China Initiative’, academics urge, amid racial profiling criticism
2021/09/13 Reuters: Stanford professors urge U.S. to end program looking for Chinese spies in academia
U.S. News & World Report: Stanford Professors Urge U.S. to End Program Looking for Chinese Spies in Academia
The Hill: Stanford professors ask DOJ to stop looking for Chinese spies at universities in US
Newsweek: Professors Accuse Trump-Era 'China Initiative' of Racially Profiling Chinese Scholars
ShoreNews: Stanford Professors Tell DOJ To Stop Looking For Chinese Spys On Their Campus
Daily Caller: Stanford Professors Ask DOJ To Stop Program Looking For Chinese Spies Over ‘Racial Profiling’ Concerns
The College Post: Stanford Professors Urge End to Search for Chinese Spies
Academe: Stanford Professors Urge End to US Government’s “China Initiative”
The College Fix: Stanford professors urge Justice Department to end program meant to find Chinese spies on campus
2021/09/08 Winds of Freedom: Stanford Faculty Members Open Letter to AG Garland to End the "China Initiative"
While acknowledging the importance to U.S. of protecting both intellectual property and information that is essential to our national and economic security, the faculty members express their concerns of racial profiling and the harm to the United States' research and technology competitiveness. The initiative has led to a significant increase of investigations and prosecutions to researchers in academia, with most cases unrelated to intellectual property theft or scientific/economic espionage. The investigations have been disproportionately targeting researchers of Chinese origin. According to the letter, the chilling effect of the "China Initiative" is discouraging many scholars from coming to or staying in the U.S. Therefore, the "China Initiative" should be terminated.
The Stanford faculty members have created a website to host the open letter and provide background and other related information. The name "Winds of Freedom" for the website comes from the Stanford motto "Die Luft der Freiheit weht" ("The Winds of Freedom Blow").
Since September 8, 214 UC Berkeley faculty members, 167 Temple University faculty members, and 198 Princeton faculty members have joined and sent their letters to AG Garland.
Starting on October 14, 2021, APA Justice launched a campaign and call for additional faculty members and qualified endorsers* from universities and educational institutions across the U.S. to endorse the Stanford letter. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/EndorseStanfordLetter.
* For the purpose of this campaign, a qualified endorser is defined as a person with the current or former rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, lecturer, scholar, or administrator, who has a valid and verifiable .edu email address at an accredited university or similar educational institution in the United States. Titles and associations are for identification only; endorsers do not represent the university or institution. Where judgment on the status of an endorser may be needed, final decision will be made by the organizers of this campaign.
Links and References
2021/10/31 APA Justice: Draft Letter to AG Garland Calling for End of the "China Initiative"
2021/10/22 Asian American Scholar Forum: Call for Your support on Open Letters to End “China Initiative”
2021/10/18 Winds of Freedom: 198 faculty members of Princeton University endorsed Stanford letter
Stanford Review: Stanford Professors Respond to the Review on DOJ's China Initiative
2021/10/15 Ohio Chinese American Association 俄州亚太联盟: 邀请全美大学教职员联署斯坦福给美司法部长的信
2021/10/14 APA Justice: Sign on to Endorse Stanford Letter to AG Garland to End DOJ's "China Initiative"
Change.org: Endorse Stanford Faculty Letter to End "China Initiative" Now
2021/10/12 Winds of Freedom: 167 faculty members of Temple University endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/30 Winds of Freedom: 214 faculty members of UC Berkeley endorsed Stanford letter
2021/09/15 Indian Express: Explained: Why academics are urging US to end initiative looking for ‘Chinese spies’ in universities
2021/09/14 Fox News: Stanford faculty denounce DOJ China Initiative, seek end to screening of Chinese researchers for spy threats
Guardian: Abolish Trump-era ‘China Initiative’, academics urge, amid racial profiling criticism
2021/09/13 Reuters: Stanford professors urge U.S. to end program looking for Chinese spies in academia
U.S. News & World Report: Stanford Professors Urge U.S. to End Program Looking for Chinese Spies in Academia
The Hill: Stanford professors ask DOJ to stop looking for Chinese spies at universities in US
Newsweek: Professors Accuse Trump-Era 'China Initiative' of Racially Profiling Chinese Scholars
ShoreNews: Stanford Professors Tell DOJ To Stop Looking For Chinese Spys On Their Campus
Daily Caller: Stanford Professors Ask DOJ To Stop Program Looking For Chinese Spies Over ‘Racial Profiling’ Concerns
The College Post: Stanford Professors Urge End to Search for Chinese Spies
Academe: Stanford Professors Urge End to US Government’s “China Initiative”
The College Fix: Stanford professors urge Justice Department to end program meant to find Chinese spies on campus
2021/09/08 Winds of Freedom: Stanford Faculty Members Open Letter to AG Garland to End the "China Initiative"
Data and Information Sources
The "China Initiative" - Unraveling, Crumbling, Faltering, Out of Control
Click on image to read report
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On September 17, 2021, The Editor-in-Chief of The Diplomat published Has the ‘China Initiative’ Run Its Course? The comprehensive article raised the question: After a resounding legal defeat, will the Justice Department change stance on the controversial program? The initiative potentially covers a lot of ground, making it hard at times to know what officially counts as part of the "China Initiative." “No one has been able to explain to me how a case gets labeled a China Initiative case,” [Seton Hall University Law Professor Margaret] Lewis said. “…By nature, it’s a bit of an amorphous creature.”
On September 16, 2021, LA Times published Why Trump’s anti-spy ‘China Initiative’ is unraveling. The article covered recently dropped "China Initaitve" cases including visiting UCLA researcher Lei Guan and Professor Anming Hu. According to the report, Michael German, a former FBI agent who serves as a fellow for the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty & National Security Program, said the recent dismissals revealed how weak many of the cases were. “Obviously, the FBI and Justice Department are under pressure to produce indictments against people with a so-called ‘nexus to China’ to match the political rhetoric sensationalizing the espionage threat from the Chinese government,” he said. “Even FBI analysts appear to have felt the investigators’ effort to connect these defendants to the Chinese military was overwrought.” On September 16, 2021, the Washington Post published on its front page As cases fail, security initiative's aim is questioned. According to the report, to federal investigators, Qing Wang was an example of China’s growing effort to co-opt scientists in the United States — part of a vast campaign to steal American secrets and technology. But a string of dismissed cases including Wang's has amplified concerns among some lawmakers and activists about whether prosecutors have been overzealous in pursuing researchers of Chinese descent. The issue goes beyond whether the government is bringing prosecutions it can win. Critics say the cases raise the question of whether a program designed to address a national security threat posed by the Chinese government has strayed, targeting researchers on lesser allegations of fraud without compelling evidence that they pose a danger to the United States. |
Links and References
2022/02/22 New York Times (dual language/中英双语): 美国司法部拟修改特朗普时代“中国计划” Justice Dept. Is Set to Modify Trump-Era Program Aimed at Fighting Chinese Threats
2022/02/21 Fox News: Garland expected to roll back elements of DOJ program to combat Chinese spying
2022/02/20 New York Times: Justice Dept. Is Set to Modify Trump-Era Program Aimed at Fighting Chinese Threats
2022/02/18 The Diplomat opinion: It’s Time to Put the DOJ’s China Initiative on Trial
2022/02/11 Daily Pennsylvanian: Over 150 Penn faculty rebuke U.S. government for racial profiling of Chinese academics
2022/02/09 Guardian: ‘You’re treated like a spy’: US accused of racial profiling over China Initiative
2022/02/03 TIME: Restricting Academic Ties With China Is a 'Huge, Huge Mistake' Warns Ivy League College President
2022/02/01 Yale Daily News: DOJ weighs China Initiative as Yale faculty sign onto open letter calling for its dissolution
2022/01/25 Axios: DOJ's China Initiative under scrutiny as cases fall apart
2022/01/22 San Francisco Chronicle: The DOJ's China Initiative is a xenophobic threat to America's economy and our core ideals
South China Morning Post: How US scheme to catch Chinese spies in American corporations and labs is enabling what it tries to prevent, amid accusations of racial profiling and calls to shut parts down
2022/01/21 Chemistry World opinion: What next for the US’s China Initiative after the case against MIT’s Gang Chen falls apart?
2022/01/10 Boston Globe editorial: The Justice Department should back off researchers
2021/12/27 Chronicle of Higher Education: What the Lieber Verdict Says, and Doesn’t Say, About Future Probes of Scholars’ Ties to China
2021/12/20 Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Pursued Professors Working With China. Cases Are Faltering.
WOSU: Department Of Justice's China initiative And Consequences For Academic Freedom
2021/12/18 The Atlantic: China Hawks Don’t Understand How Science Advances
2021/12/14 Bloomberg Businessweek: China Initiative Set Out to Catch Spies. It Didn’t Find Many
2021/12/02 MIT Technology Review: The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.
MIT Technology Review: We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records.
2021/11/12 Lawfare: As Facebook Joins the Race to the Metaverse, Chinese Tech Companies Face Hurdles
2021/11/11 Neo.life: The Real Danger of A Biological Cold War With China
2021/11/05 Science: China Initiative spawns distrust and activism
2021/10/29 Inside Higher Ed: A Retreat From China Collaborations in the Face of U.S. Scrutiny
South China Morning Post: US ‘China Initiative’ racially profiled scientists, ruined careers
Nature: Scientists’ fears of racial bias surge amid US crackdown on China ties
University World News: Racial profiling of Chinese scientists is spreading fear
2021/10/28 Yahoo News: US ‘China Initiative’ stymied scientific innovation, study says
Diverse: Study Finds Racial Profiling of Scientists of Chinese Descent
2021/10/27 Bloomberg: DOJ Curbs Trump-Era Zeal for China Spy Probes as Cases Fail
2021/10/21 Mother Jones: Has the DOJ’s Campaign to Root Out Chinese Spies on College Campuses Gone Too Far?
2021/10/20 Radio Free Asia: FBI secretly investigating respected US oceanographer’s China ties
2021/10/19 NBC News: How a federal push to stop Chinese scientists from stealing U.S. secrets has sputtered in court
2021/10/14 World Chemistry: US programme targeting researchers with China links crumbling under intense scrutiny
2021/09/28 Law360: 'Overheated': How A Chinese-Spy Hunt At DOJ Went Too Far
Lake County Record-Bee: The China Initiative, a flawed and dysfunctional policy
2021/09/26 Philadelphia Inquirer: Why Trump’s anti-spy ‘China Initiative’ is unraveling
2021/09/25 University World News: Professor acquittal – Is China Initiative out of control?
2021/09/19 Detroit News: Why Trump's anti-spy 'China Initiative' is unraveling
2021/09/17 The Diplomat: Has the ‘China Initiative’ Run Its Course?
2021/09/16 American Physical Society: APS Voice Concerns About DOJ’s China Initiative and Suggests Reforms
2021/09/16 LA Times: Why Trump’s anti-spy ‘China Initiative’ is unraveling
Washington Post: As cases fail, security initiative's aim is questioned
AIP: Judge Acquits Nanotechnologist as Pressure Mounts on DOJ China Initiative
2021/09/14 Guardian: Abolish Trump-era ‘China Initiative’, academics urge, amid racial profiling criticism
2021/08/11 Rights & Dissent: The Legacy of Atomic McCarthyism
2021/08/05 WilmerHale: DOJ’s “China Initiative” Falters
2021/06/29 Rights & Dissent: The “China Initiative”: State-sanctioned Chinese American Persecution
2022/02/22 New York Times (dual language/中英双语): 美国司法部拟修改特朗普时代“中国计划” Justice Dept. Is Set to Modify Trump-Era Program Aimed at Fighting Chinese Threats
2022/02/21 Fox News: Garland expected to roll back elements of DOJ program to combat Chinese spying
2022/02/20 New York Times: Justice Dept. Is Set to Modify Trump-Era Program Aimed at Fighting Chinese Threats
2022/02/18 The Diplomat opinion: It’s Time to Put the DOJ’s China Initiative on Trial
2022/02/11 Daily Pennsylvanian: Over 150 Penn faculty rebuke U.S. government for racial profiling of Chinese academics
2022/02/09 Guardian: ‘You’re treated like a spy’: US accused of racial profiling over China Initiative
2022/02/03 TIME: Restricting Academic Ties With China Is a 'Huge, Huge Mistake' Warns Ivy League College President
2022/02/01 Yale Daily News: DOJ weighs China Initiative as Yale faculty sign onto open letter calling for its dissolution
2022/01/25 Axios: DOJ's China Initiative under scrutiny as cases fall apart
2022/01/22 San Francisco Chronicle: The DOJ's China Initiative is a xenophobic threat to America's economy and our core ideals
South China Morning Post: How US scheme to catch Chinese spies in American corporations and labs is enabling what it tries to prevent, amid accusations of racial profiling and calls to shut parts down
2022/01/21 Chemistry World opinion: What next for the US’s China Initiative after the case against MIT’s Gang Chen falls apart?
2022/01/10 Boston Globe editorial: The Justice Department should back off researchers
2021/12/27 Chronicle of Higher Education: What the Lieber Verdict Says, and Doesn’t Say, About Future Probes of Scholars’ Ties to China
2021/12/20 Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Pursued Professors Working With China. Cases Are Faltering.
WOSU: Department Of Justice's China initiative And Consequences For Academic Freedom
2021/12/18 The Atlantic: China Hawks Don’t Understand How Science Advances
2021/12/14 Bloomberg Businessweek: China Initiative Set Out to Catch Spies. It Didn’t Find Many
2021/12/02 MIT Technology Review: The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.
MIT Technology Review: We built a database to understand the China Initiative. Then the government changed its records.
2021/11/12 Lawfare: As Facebook Joins the Race to the Metaverse, Chinese Tech Companies Face Hurdles
2021/11/11 Neo.life: The Real Danger of A Biological Cold War With China
2021/11/05 Science: China Initiative spawns distrust and activism
2021/10/29 Inside Higher Ed: A Retreat From China Collaborations in the Face of U.S. Scrutiny
South China Morning Post: US ‘China Initiative’ racially profiled scientists, ruined careers
Nature: Scientists’ fears of racial bias surge amid US crackdown on China ties
University World News: Racial profiling of Chinese scientists is spreading fear
2021/10/28 Yahoo News: US ‘China Initiative’ stymied scientific innovation, study says
Diverse: Study Finds Racial Profiling of Scientists of Chinese Descent
2021/10/27 Bloomberg: DOJ Curbs Trump-Era Zeal for China Spy Probes as Cases Fail
2021/10/21 Mother Jones: Has the DOJ’s Campaign to Root Out Chinese Spies on College Campuses Gone Too Far?
2021/10/20 Radio Free Asia: FBI secretly investigating respected US oceanographer’s China ties
2021/10/19 NBC News: How a federal push to stop Chinese scientists from stealing U.S. secrets has sputtered in court
2021/10/14 World Chemistry: US programme targeting researchers with China links crumbling under intense scrutiny
2021/09/28 Law360: 'Overheated': How A Chinese-Spy Hunt At DOJ Went Too Far
Lake County Record-Bee: The China Initiative, a flawed and dysfunctional policy
2021/09/26 Philadelphia Inquirer: Why Trump’s anti-spy ‘China Initiative’ is unraveling
2021/09/25 University World News: Professor acquittal – Is China Initiative out of control?
2021/09/19 Detroit News: Why Trump's anti-spy 'China Initiative' is unraveling
2021/09/17 The Diplomat: Has the ‘China Initiative’ Run Its Course?
2021/09/16 American Physical Society: APS Voice Concerns About DOJ’s China Initiative and Suggests Reforms
2021/09/16 LA Times: Why Trump’s anti-spy ‘China Initiative’ is unraveling
Washington Post: As cases fail, security initiative's aim is questioned
AIP: Judge Acquits Nanotechnologist as Pressure Mounts on DOJ China Initiative
2021/09/14 Guardian: Abolish Trump-era ‘China Initiative’, academics urge, amid racial profiling criticism
2021/08/11 Rights & Dissent: The Legacy of Atomic McCarthyism
2021/08/05 WilmerHale: DOJ’s “China Initiative” Falters
2021/06/29 Rights & Dissent: The “China Initiative”: State-sanctioned Chinese American Persecution
Professor Anming Hu Acquitted!!!
On September 9, 2021, Judge Thomas Varlan issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order and acquitted Professor Anming Hu of all charges in his indictment.
Professor Hu is the first academic to go to trial under the "China Initiative." Read more about the latest developments and background of Professor Hu's case at Anming Hu.
Five More "China Initiative" Cases Dropped
FBI Reports Behind the Dismissal of The Five Visa Fraud Cases under the "China Initiative"
Five visa fraud cases involving five researchers from China were abruptly dismissed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in July 2021. They were all listed as "China Initiative" cases. The trial of Dr. Juan Tang was about to begin on Monday, July 26, 2021, when DOJ motioned to dismiss the case on July 22. A year earlier, the indictment of these scientists coincided with the closing of China's consulate in Houston, which was alleged to be a "spy center." FBI agents followed by conducting massive local interviews in search of "spies," creating intense fear and anxiety in the Chinese American community.
DOJ did not provide an explanation for the dismissals. However, on July 22, 2021, Reuters reported that there was "recently disclosed evidence of a report by FBI analysts that questioned if the visa application question on 'military service' was clear enough for Chinese medical scientists at military universities and hospitals." In another report by the Washington Post, an unnamed official was quoted to say that "the punishment for visa fraud typically does not exceed a year. That fact, combined with the prospect of prolonged litigation in several instances, led officials to assess that the interests of justice were best served by dropping the cases."
Upon further research, defense attorneys for Dr. Tang filed a Defendant's Trial Brief and Memorandum Supporting Dismissal at Trial on July 19, 2021. It included a section on "The FBI’s Deliberate Failure to Disclose Critical Exculpatory Evidence to the Court and to the Defense Warrants a Dismissal of this Ill-Conceived Indictment."
"There is dissension in the FBI’s own ranks," the trial brief started. It cited that the government intentionally did not comply with the discovery order for the trial and highlighted that "... just days ago, a heavily redacted report dated for release four months ago, on April 1, 2021, which the government did not disclose to this Court when it ruled on Dr. Tang’s Motion to Dismiss." Exhibit A shows a FBI Background Note dated April 1, which includes a statement that investigations and expert interviews "suggest that the visa application form (DS-160) potentially lacks clarity when it comes to declaring one's military service or affiliation."
A partially redacted draft FBI report appeared as part of an exhibit in a non-motion response filed in the case of Lei Guan on July 12, 2021. It is titled Fourth Military Medical University Interviews and Arrests Likely Had Minimal Impact in Mitigating Technology Transfer Threats from PRC Students dated March 19, 2021. You can access the file on the APA Justice website here: https://bit.ly/3zuhQR9.
The 28-page exhibit includes a draft white paper that provides assessments on seven cases under the "China Initiative," including the five that were dismissed. The draft paper states that targeting of the researcher and students "likely had minimal, short-term positive impact on the technology transfer threat from PRC students, scholars, and researchers." In addition, "[o]nly two of the arrests has a nexus to technology transfer violations, ... and none included charges related to other counterintelligence concerns."
The operation "likely contributed to the deterioration of the FBI's delicate yet valuable relationship with some US universities by not exercising more caution before approaching PRC students." Although there was strong advice against investigating and arresting students and researchers with the operation, "several FBI field offices proceeded with visa fraud charges for individuals who met the criteria but did not meet the threshold for a high-priority technology transfer threat."
"It is in the best national security interest of the FBI to strategically identify, target, and mitigate PRC technology transfer threats while also preserving educational opportunities in the United States for PRC students who do not pose a threat," said an unredacted portion of the FBI report. A footnote also stated that "the FBI does not consider clinical medicine an area of concern for PRC technology transfer."
According to the exhibit, a FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst drafted the report as a response to a February 2021 award nomination. She was originally included as part of the award nomination but disagreed about the "high impact" the award's nomination claimed to have made. She did not think the arrest of the PLA students met the threshold for high impact at that time, as she assessed at an early stage the impact was minimal. The draft was a way for her to dispute the information contained in the awards packet. She removed herself from the award nomination.
John Demers, former head of the "China Initiative" at DOJ, and William Evanina, former chief of the counterintelligence branch at ODNI, stated in December 2020 that more than 1,000 Chinese researchers have left the United States amid the U.S. crackdown on alleged technology theft from China.
Links and References
2021/07/19 Doc 195: Defendant's Trial Brief and Memorandum Supporting Dismissal at Trial. USA vs. Juan Tang
Exhibit 195-01: FBI Background Note and Interview of Jesse Field. USA vs Juan Tang
2021/03/18 Doc 220-2: FBI study on Fourth Military Medical University Interviews and Arrests Likely Had Minimal Impact in Mitigating Technology Transfer Threats from PRC Students. USA vs Lei Guan
DOJ did not provide an explanation for the dismissals. However, on July 22, 2021, Reuters reported that there was "recently disclosed evidence of a report by FBI analysts that questioned if the visa application question on 'military service' was clear enough for Chinese medical scientists at military universities and hospitals." In another report by the Washington Post, an unnamed official was quoted to say that "the punishment for visa fraud typically does not exceed a year. That fact, combined with the prospect of prolonged litigation in several instances, led officials to assess that the interests of justice were best served by dropping the cases."
Upon further research, defense attorneys for Dr. Tang filed a Defendant's Trial Brief and Memorandum Supporting Dismissal at Trial on July 19, 2021. It included a section on "The FBI’s Deliberate Failure to Disclose Critical Exculpatory Evidence to the Court and to the Defense Warrants a Dismissal of this Ill-Conceived Indictment."
"There is dissension in the FBI’s own ranks," the trial brief started. It cited that the government intentionally did not comply with the discovery order for the trial and highlighted that "... just days ago, a heavily redacted report dated for release four months ago, on April 1, 2021, which the government did not disclose to this Court when it ruled on Dr. Tang’s Motion to Dismiss." Exhibit A shows a FBI Background Note dated April 1, which includes a statement that investigations and expert interviews "suggest that the visa application form (DS-160) potentially lacks clarity when it comes to declaring one's military service or affiliation."
A partially redacted draft FBI report appeared as part of an exhibit in a non-motion response filed in the case of Lei Guan on July 12, 2021. It is titled Fourth Military Medical University Interviews and Arrests Likely Had Minimal Impact in Mitigating Technology Transfer Threats from PRC Students dated March 19, 2021. You can access the file on the APA Justice website here: https://bit.ly/3zuhQR9.
The 28-page exhibit includes a draft white paper that provides assessments on seven cases under the "China Initiative," including the five that were dismissed. The draft paper states that targeting of the researcher and students "likely had minimal, short-term positive impact on the technology transfer threat from PRC students, scholars, and researchers." In addition, "[o]nly two of the arrests has a nexus to technology transfer violations, ... and none included charges related to other counterintelligence concerns."
The operation "likely contributed to the deterioration of the FBI's delicate yet valuable relationship with some US universities by not exercising more caution before approaching PRC students." Although there was strong advice against investigating and arresting students and researchers with the operation, "several FBI field offices proceeded with visa fraud charges for individuals who met the criteria but did not meet the threshold for a high-priority technology transfer threat."
"It is in the best national security interest of the FBI to strategically identify, target, and mitigate PRC technology transfer threats while also preserving educational opportunities in the United States for PRC students who do not pose a threat," said an unredacted portion of the FBI report. A footnote also stated that "the FBI does not consider clinical medicine an area of concern for PRC technology transfer."
According to the exhibit, a FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst drafted the report as a response to a February 2021 award nomination. She was originally included as part of the award nomination but disagreed about the "high impact" the award's nomination claimed to have made. She did not think the arrest of the PLA students met the threshold for high impact at that time, as she assessed at an early stage the impact was minimal. The draft was a way for her to dispute the information contained in the awards packet. She removed herself from the award nomination.
John Demers, former head of the "China Initiative" at DOJ, and William Evanina, former chief of the counterintelligence branch at ODNI, stated in December 2020 that more than 1,000 Chinese researchers have left the United States amid the U.S. crackdown on alleged technology theft from China.
Links and References
2021/07/19 Doc 195: Defendant's Trial Brief and Memorandum Supporting Dismissal at Trial. USA vs. Juan Tang
Exhibit 195-01: FBI Background Note and Interview of Jesse Field. USA vs Juan Tang
2021/03/18 Doc 220-2: FBI study on Fourth Military Medical University Interviews and Arrests Likely Had Minimal Impact in Mitigating Technology Transfer Threats from PRC Students. USA vs Lei Guan
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In court filings on July 22 and 23, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) abruptly moved to drop visa fraud and other charges against five scientists from China in five separate "China Initiative" cases, including four biomedical and cancer researchers in California and a doctoral candidate studying artificial intelligence in Indiana. U.S. District judges have granted dismissal in three of the five cases.
The five Chinese nationals are:
Prosecutors did not provide explanations in their motions to dismiss. According to multiple media reports, Wyn Hornbuckle, a Justice Department spokesman issued a statement that said "[r]ecent developments in a handful of cases involving defendants with alleged, undisclosed ties to the People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China have prompted the department to re-evaluate these prosecutions... We have determined that it is now in the interest of justice to dismiss them.” Some of the prosecutions were based on photos of the individuals in uniform. However, wearing a uniform does not always imply military service. There are two non-armed branches in the uniformed services of the United States, including the Public Health Service which is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. DOJ announced the visa fraud charges against four of the five scientists exactly a year ago on July 23, 2020. The fifth scientist, Lei Guan, was first charged in August 2020 for Destruction and Alteration of Records in a Federal Investigation with visa fraud charges added in September 2020. The U.S. ordered China to close its consulate in Houston on July 24, 2020, accusing it to be a "spy center" to conduct spying activities with local medical center or universities. FBI agents began to knock on doors to demand interviews with persons of Chinese descent, creating fear and anguish in the Chinese American community in Houston. During the August 3, 2020, APA Justice meeting, Houston community leaders provided on-the-ground reports and expressed concerns about a "witch hunt for spies” by the FBI to use Chinese Americans as “scapegoat” to justify the political claim, for which the U.S. government has provided few supporting evidence. They and other local community leaders appealed to Congress to de-escalate the situation, rein in the rhetoric and irresponsible actions, and provide oversight to protect the civil rights of Chinese Americans. OCA, UCA, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and the Asian American Bar Association of Houston co-hosted a “Know Your Rights” webinar on August 6, 2020, to address the urgent question, "What to do if you are questioned by the FBI or police?" Over 850 participated in the webinar. On December 2, 2020, Former Assistant Attorney General John Demers, who headed the "China Initiative," claimed that "more than 1,000 researchers who had hidden their affiliation with the Chinese military fled the United States." |
Non-Armed Uniformed Services of the U.S.
Wearing a uniform does not always imply military service in the U.S. According to Wikipedia, out of the eight branches of uniformed services of the United States, two are non-armed:
Public Health Service Uniforms
Rear Admiral Michael Devany (retired), Deputy Under Secretary for Operations, NOAA, who unjustly terminated the employment of Sherry Chen, hydrologist at the National Weather Service
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Links and References
2021/07/31 South China Morning Post opinion: How the US can craft a bold and positive China agenda that benefits all Americans
2021/07/26 Inside Higher Ed: China Initiative Cases Dismissed
SupChina: A scientist’s future hangs in the balance after another failure of the China Initiative
Los Angeles Times: After feds drop charges against Chinese scholars, new concerns about racial profiling
2021/07/24 New York Times: U.S. Moves to Drop Cases Against Chinese Researchers Accused of Hiding Military Ties
2021/07/23 Wall Street Journal: U.S. Drops Visa Fraud Cases Against Five Chinese Researchers
Washington Post: U.S. drops cases against five researchers accused of hiding ties to Chinese military
Courthouse News: Feds abruptly drop visa fraud charges against Chinese military scientists
Daily Caller: US Drops Charges Against Researchers Accused Of Hiding Affiliation With Chinese Military
NPR: U.S. Moves To Drop Visa Fraud Charge Against A Chinese Researcher
2021/06/17 Reuters: Chinese scientists ensnared in U.S. visa fraud legal battle
2020/12/02 Washington Post: More than 1,000 visiting researchers affiliated with the Chinese military fled the United States this summer, Justice Department says
2020/07/23 Department of Justice: Researchers Charged with Visa Fraud After Lying About Their Work for China’s People’s Liberation Army
2020/07/22 New York Times: U.S. Orders China to Close Houston Consulate, Citing Efforts to Steal Trade Secrets
2021/07/31 South China Morning Post opinion: How the US can craft a bold and positive China agenda that benefits all Americans
2021/07/26 Inside Higher Ed: China Initiative Cases Dismissed
SupChina: A scientist’s future hangs in the balance after another failure of the China Initiative
Los Angeles Times: After feds drop charges against Chinese scholars, new concerns about racial profiling
2021/07/24 New York Times: U.S. Moves to Drop Cases Against Chinese Researchers Accused of Hiding Military Ties
2021/07/23 Wall Street Journal: U.S. Drops Visa Fraud Cases Against Five Chinese Researchers
Washington Post: U.S. drops cases against five researchers accused of hiding ties to Chinese military
Courthouse News: Feds abruptly drop visa fraud charges against Chinese military scientists
Daily Caller: US Drops Charges Against Researchers Accused Of Hiding Affiliation With Chinese Military
NPR: U.S. Moves To Drop Visa Fraud Charge Against A Chinese Researcher
2021/06/17 Reuters: Chinese scientists ensnared in U.S. visa fraud legal battle
2020/12/02 Washington Post: More than 1,000 visiting researchers affiliated with the Chinese military fled the United States this summer, Justice Department says
2020/07/23 Department of Justice: Researchers Charged with Visa Fraud After Lying About Their Work for China’s People’s Liberation Army
2020/07/22 New York Times: U.S. Orders China to Close Houston Consulate, Citing Efforts to Steal Trade Secrets
Statement by APA Justice on Congressional Roundtable
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On June 29, 2021, APA Justice submitted a written statement to the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for the Congressional Roundtable to be held on June 30, 2021, which will be livestreamed at: https://bit.ly/3xTy2u3
This will be the first Congressional proceeding where the plight of Chinese American scientists and the human and scientific costs of racial profiling will be heard in recent decades. As the roundtable shines light on the human and scientific costs of racial profiling, APA Justice urges the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and CAPAC to take the following actions:
The statement is available here: https://bit.ly/3dqURh0 and downloaded below: 
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Additional Statements to the Democratic Member Roundtable
- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Racial Profiling Hurts Science
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC: Statement for The Democratic Member Roundtable
- Asian American Scholar Forum: Statement for The Democratic Member Roundtable
- Defending Rights & Dissent: The “China Initiative”: State-sanctioned Chinese American Persecution
- Dr. Stefan Maier: Statement for The Democratic Member Roundtable
- Tennessee Chinese American Alliance: Statement for The Democratic Member Roundtable
Letter from Maryland State Senator Susan Lee on Congressional Roundtable
Click image to view the letter
Download Senator Susan Lee's Letter:
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On June 27, 2021, Maryland State Senator Susan Lee wrote the following Dear Friend and Colleague letter:
On behalf of myself, Terry Lierman, Dr. Jeremy Wu, Dr. Steven Pei, and the APA Justice team, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your support and being a signatory to our alliance’s letter which have helped propel forward a Congressional Roundtable on the Ethnic and Racial Profiling of Chinese American Scientists led and conducted by US Representative Jamie Raskin, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Representative Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. You can attend this timely and important roundtable entitled “Researching While Chinese American: Ethnic Profiling, Chinese American Scientists and a New American Brain Drain” on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 3:30 pm ET and livestreamed on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3xTy2u3. We strongly URGE you to not only watch this Congressional Proceeding, but also to share this link and information with others (see announcement on next page). The witnesses and Members of Congress will shine light on the enormous devastation this unconscionable profiling has inflicted on the reputations, careers, and lives of many patriotic and innocent scientists and the considerable damage to America’s ability to advance scientific and medical breakthroughs, especially during this current pandemic. The roundtable will also discuss recommendations to address discriminatory actions and consider measures to ensure transparency and accountability. Again, we are grateful to you for joining this dialogue and the engaged participation of the entire wide-ranging coalition effort that initiated, and will enhance the potential outcomes from this Congressional Roundtable. | ||
ADVISORY: Reps. Raskin and Chu to Hold Democratic Member Roundtable
on the Ethnic and Racial Profiling of Chinese American Scientists
on the Ethnic and Racial Profiling of Chinese American Scientists
WHAT: Roundtable titled “Researching while Chinese American: Ethnic Profiling, Chinese American Scientists and a New American Brain Drain.”
WHEN: Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. ET
WHO:
The event is open to the public via livestream on YouTube at: https://bit.ly/3xTy2u3.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. ET
WHO:
- Xiaoxing Xi, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physics, Temple University*
- Sherry Chen, Hydrologist, Ohio River Forecast Center, National Weather Service, NOAA*
- Steven Chu, Former Secretary of Energy; Professor, Stanford University*
- Randy Katz, Vice Chancellor for Research and United Microelectronics Corporation, Distinguished Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley*
The event is open to the public via livestream on YouTube at: https://bit.ly/3xTy2u3.
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2021/06/30 Rep. Jamie Raskin: Roundtable by Reps. Raskin and Chu Hears about Effects of Ethnic Profiling against Chinese American Scientists
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On Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. ET, Representative Jamie Raskin, Chair of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Representative Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, will hold a roundtable entitled “Researching while Chinese American: Ethnic Profiling, Chinese American Scientists and a New American Brain Drain.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has long targeted Chinese Americans in extensive investigations into foreign espionage, leading to multiple false arrests of innocent Chinese American scientists. These efforts ramped up in federal agencies under the Trump Administration’s China Initiative, causing numerous scientists to lose their jobs despite not unveiling chargeable criminal conduct. This roundtable will examine the federal government’s alleged racial profiling of Chinese American scientists, and address how the continued harassment harms the broader U.S. scientific community. |
2021/07/15 American Institute of Physics: Protests Growing Against Justice Department’s China Initiative
2021/07/03 IAM: Feds don’t need a ‘China Initiative’ to go after trade secret theft
South China Morning Post: US-China tech war: In the battle for talent, the US is ‘shooting ourselves in the foot’
返朴: 美国国会首次关注政府对华裔科学家的种族偏见政策
2021/06/30 Rep. Jamie Raskin: Roundtable by Reps. Raskin and Chu Hears about Effects of Ethnic Profiling against Chinese American Scientists
People's World: Will Biden continue the racist Trump-era ‘China Initiative?’
2021/06/29 世界新聞網: 華裔科學家面臨政府「種族調查」 6/30國會圓桌討論
MIT Technology Review: We are all Gang Chen
2021/06/28 American Institute of Physics: Lawmakers Examining Alleged Profiling of Chinese Scientists
2021/07/03 IAM: Feds don’t need a ‘China Initiative’ to go after trade secret theft
South China Morning Post: US-China tech war: In the battle for talent, the US is ‘shooting ourselves in the foot’
返朴: 美国国会首次关注政府对华裔科学家的种族偏见政策
2021/06/30 Rep. Jamie Raskin: Roundtable by Reps. Raskin and Chu Hears about Effects of Ethnic Profiling against Chinese American Scientists
People's World: Will Biden continue the racist Trump-era ‘China Initiative?’
2021/06/29 世界新聞網: 華裔科學家面臨政府「種族調查」 6/30國會圓桌討論
MIT Technology Review: We are all Gang Chen
2021/06/28 American Institute of Physics: Lawmakers Examining Alleged Profiling of Chinese Scientists
Letter to The White House Calling for Response to Inquiries
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On June 17, 2021, APA Justice sent a letter to Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison at the White House, urging the Biden-Harris Administration to respond to the standing Congressional and Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests and provide full data and information publicly to justify the continuation of the "China Initiative" and related racial profiling policies and practices.
In summary, without further delay, we respectfully request the Biden-Harris administration to:
Download letter in PDF format
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Congressional Staffer Roundtable on Research Integrity
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Frank H. Wu, President of Queens College, City University of New York, appeared as part of a roundtable briefing on research integrity, for senior staffers to members of Congress. The virtual event on May 5, 2021 was organized by the majority and the minority of the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Armed Services (House and Senate). In addition to President Wu, the event included the following speakers:
Speakers
President Wu shared his written submission with APA Justice. In his remarks, he emphasized three “Cs” that should be promoted and one “C” to be avoided:
And not
2021/04/09 House Science and Armed Services Committees Letter to Presdient Biden |
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The Human and Scientific Costs of Racial Profiling Must be Heard
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2021
Contact:
Senator Susan C. Lee [email protected]
Terry Lierman [email protected]
The Human and Scientific Costs of Racial Profiling Must be Heard
Scientific and Civil Rights Leaders and Organizations request US Representative Jamie Raskin, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, conduct House Hearings to address racial profiling and investigations of scientists and scholars of Chinese and Asian descent
February 1, 2021
Contact:
Senator Susan C. Lee [email protected]
Terry Lierman [email protected]
The Human and Scientific Costs of Racial Profiling Must be Heard
Scientific and Civil Rights Leaders and Organizations request US Representative Jamie Raskin, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, conduct House Hearings to address racial profiling and investigations of scientists and scholars of Chinese and Asian descent
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – An alliance of prominent scientific and civil rights leaders and organizations nationwide representing thousands of individuals, spearheaded by Maryland State Senator Susan Lee and the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland Co-Chair Terry Lierman, have signed a letter requesting that US Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, conduct an oversight hearing to address the profiling of scientists and scholars of Chinese or Asian descent based on the misguided perception that simply being of Chinese or Asian descent or having ties to China make them prone to espionage.
The alliance has requested the committee look into the broad sweep of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s counterintelligence efforts and the National Institute of Health’s related actions against scientists of Chinese or Asian descent which have resulted in the loss of their jobs, reputations and devastation of their lives and families, even though they were later proven innocent. Maryland State Senate Majority Whip Susan Lee, whose district includes NIH, stated, “While we strongly support efforts to safeguard America’s interests and prosecute wrongdoers, it would be a grave injustice to target, stereotype, or place under suspicion an entire ethnic group. Many of these patriotic scientists have spent a lifetime of work dedicated to advancing medical breakthroughs which have made America one the global leaders in science and technology. They are a part of the solution to the United States’ global challenges, not a threat.” “The overzealous, broad, unchecked, and overreaching activities fueled by a xenophobic and toxic political climate have not only led to mistakes in investigations or prosecutions and civil rights violations, but also have crippled America’s ability to develop medical innovations that can enhance the quality of and save lives, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. We need the committee to shine light on any discriminatory policies being employed by those agencies to ensure there is fairness, transparency and accountability,” said Terry Lierman. For decades, international scientific collaborations and exchanges between United States and foreign academic and research institutions have been strongly encouraged and supported by the NIH and other academic entities, but now, they are being criminalized. “Science - like America itself - thrives on freedom, openness, and inclusiveness - there is no room for discrimination against men and women from China or anywhere else based on nationality," former White House science advisor Dr. Neal F. Lane said. "The PRC Government's rising nationalism and use of its economic clout to influence U.S. universities and society are real and growing, but any U.S. Government response that assumes all students, scientists, and scholars of Chinese descent are potential intelligence risks is unfair and unwise profiling that has no place in our democracy," said Dr. Wallace Loh, former President of the University of Maryland, College Park. To date, Congress has held numerous hearings focused only on the espionage threat, but it has not addressed the civil rights violations of Chinese Americans who have been wrongly targeted or the longterm consequences and damages to the American research enterprise and minority communities if this pattern of racial profiling continues. “The Department of Justice launched the ‘China Initiative’ to counter perceived ‘national security threats.’ But the past two years have shown an over-emphasis on national security and an underemphasis on bias. I join others in calling for the end of the ‘China Initiative’,” said Professor Margaret Lewis of Seton Hall University Law School. “We are deeply concerned with the racial profiling and unjust prosecutions of Asian Americans and immigrants by the government,” said John C. Yang, Advancing Justice – AAJC’s President and Executive Director. “This latest wave of xenophobia has instilled fear within our communities as many Chinese Americans and immigrants are once again caught in our country’s long history of suspicion and racial discrimination against Asian Americans. We urge Congress to engage in oversight on this issue by holding a public hearing on this issue.” “Xenophobic targeting and persecution of Chinese Americans is causing irreparable damage not only to the impacted persons and their families, but also creates fear, suspicion, and hate towards the Asian American community. It must stop. It is grossly unjust and unfair to target an entire ethnic group from specific countries,” said Dr. Steven Pei and Dr. Jeremy Wu, Co-Leaders of the APA Justice Task Force. |
2021/02/01 Calling for a Congressional Hearing on Racial Profiling of Asian American and Chinese Scientists (Full Package)
What You Can Do To Help
Additonal Links and References
2021/04/23 APA Justice: Letter to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer 2021/04/09 House Science and Armed Services Committees Letter to Presdient Biden 2021/03/18 Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson and Senator Susan Lee Speak on Standing Up Against the Surge of Hate Crimes and Violence Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (video 6:39) 2021/03/02 Inside Higher Ed: Reconsidering the ‘China Initiative’ 2021/02/26 Science Editorial: Clarity on the crackdown 2021/02/22 Lawfare: Beyond the China Initiative 2021/02/16 The Atlantic: Fears of China Are Disrupting American Science 2021/02/09 GenomeWeb: Investigation of Racial Profiling Sought 2021/02/05 Science: U.S. scientists want Congress to look into complaints of racial profiling in China Initiative 2021/02/02 South China Morning Post: Letter urges US Congress to hold hearings on racial profiling of Asian-Americans 2021/02/01 Change.org: We Are All Gang Chen 2021/01/28 Bloomberg Law: Biden’s DOJ Needs to End War on Chinese-American Scientists |
On January 5, 2021, a group of community organizations, advocacy groups, science associations, and individuals sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden urging the incoming administration to end the Justice Department’s “China Initiative” and take further steps to combat the pervasive racial bias and targeting of Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists, researchers, and students by the federal government. Among the signatories are people who have been directly impacted by the government’s unjust prosecutions of Asian Americans.
The letter, spearheaded by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation, Brennan Center for Justice, and APA Justice Task Force, denounces the “China Initiative” for discriminatory investigations and prosecutions of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants, particularly those of Chinese descent working in fields of science. Many of the investigations and prosecutions under this initiative target people with any “nexus to China” rather than on evidence of economic espionage as it purports to do, which has revealed a sharp rise in the profiling and targeting of Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists and researchers.
Even after not finding any evidence of espionage, federal prosecutors are charging many Asian Americans and Asian immigrants with federal crimes based on administrative errors or minor offenses such as failing to disclose information to universities or research institutions and other activities under the pretext of combating economic espionage. As a result, Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars are ensnared by overzealous prosecutions riddled with racial bias that are ruining careers and leaving lives in shambles.
The letter includes a set of recommendations, which first calls for an immediate end to the “China Initiative” and a complete review of all prosecutions and investigations closed prior to prosecution under the initiative. It also urges the incoming administration to review and take measures throughout the Federal Government’s law enforcement, intelligence, and scientific research funding agencies to combat other patterns of racial bias against Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists and federal employees. The letter and list of organizations and individuals that signed on can be found here.
“This latest wave of xenophobia against Asian Americans and Asian immigrants follows a long history of Asian Americans and immigrants being stereotyped as “perpetual foreigners,” scapegoated, and profiled as spies disloyal to the United States,” said John C. Yang, Advancing Justice – AAJC’s president and executive director. “Individual cases of wrongful arrests and prosecutions of Asian American scientists and researchers along with racial rhetoric from public officials reveal that racial bias exists and has translated into real harm for the Asian American community.”
"Basing criminal investigations on national origin and Chinese ancestry is unconstitutional and a waste of resources," said Glenn Katon, Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus Director of Litigation. "When the government prosecutes scientists and researchers simply so public officials can look tough, no one is made safer. The Biden administration has the chance to protect Asian Americans and Asian immigrants across this country - they should take it."
"Racial profiling has proven to be an ineffective, divisive, and counterproductive law enforcement tactic, and yet the Justice Department inexplicably still promotes its use through programs like the ‘China Initiative'," said Brennan Center fellow Michael German, a former FBI agent. "Pressuring all U.S. Attorneys' Offices to initiate 'China Initiative' cases compels racial, ethnic, and national origin profiling, which undermines our security and the rule of law by targeting investigations based on a person's 'nexus to China' rather than evidence of serious wrongdoing."
"Foreign-born scientists of Chinese origin have been an integral part of American innovation and global leadership. Our nation can protect our scientific and research security and successfully compete in the global marketplace for international scientific talent, but not by overzealous, xenophobic targeting of top talents that ruins lives and drives them to foreign countries that have been trying to recruit them unsuccessfully," said Professor Steven Pei, a leader for the APA Justice Task Force.
Links and References
2021/08/24 Rafu Shimpo: AAPI Civil Rights Groups Ask Biden to Pause DOJ’s China Initiative
2021/08/19 Coalition Letter: AAPI Organizations Urge President Biden to Speak Out and Act More
2021/07/22 Foreign Policy: Time to End the U.S. Justice Department’s China Initiative
2021/07/15 American Institute of Physics: Protests Growing Against Justice Department’s China Initiative
2021/04/21 Amnesty International: Calls on Biden administration to end “China Initiative”
2021/04/09 Advancing Justice | AAJC: Petition to President Biden to End the "China Initiative"
2021/03/02 Inside Higher Ed: Reconsidering the ‘China Initiative’
2021/02/22 Lawfare: The Biden Administration Should Review and Rebuild the Trump Administration’s China Initiative From the Ground Up
2021/02/16 The Atlantic: Fears of China Are Disrupting American Science
2021/01/26 White House: Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States
2021/01/08 Documented: Chinese Students In The US Caught Up In Geopolitics And Trump's Immigration Crackdown
2021/01/07 US-Asia Law Institute: Time to Reassess and Reframe the US Government's "China Initiative"
2021/01/06 Inside Higher Ed: Groups Call on Biden to End DOJ ‘China Initiative’
2021/01/05 APA Justice/Advancing Justice | AAJC/Brennan Center: Joint Letter to President-elect Joe Biden to End DOJ's "China Initiative"
2019/10/03 Nature: Chinese scientists and US leadership in the life sciences
2019/09/04 60 Top Scientific Organizations: Call for Balance Between Open Scientific Environment and Protecting Our Economic and National Security
2019/08/21 150 Pharmaceutical Chiefs and Scientists: Chinese scientists and US leadership in the life sciences
2019/09/12 PEN America: Statement in Response to Report the FBI is urging Universities to Monitor Chinese Students and Scholars
2019/07/01 Committee of Concerned Scientists: U.S. Government Profiling Ethnic Chinese Scientists
2019/03/21 The Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America et al: Racial Profiling Harms Science
The letter, spearheaded by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation, Brennan Center for Justice, and APA Justice Task Force, denounces the “China Initiative” for discriminatory investigations and prosecutions of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants, particularly those of Chinese descent working in fields of science. Many of the investigations and prosecutions under this initiative target people with any “nexus to China” rather than on evidence of economic espionage as it purports to do, which has revealed a sharp rise in the profiling and targeting of Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists and researchers.
Even after not finding any evidence of espionage, federal prosecutors are charging many Asian Americans and Asian immigrants with federal crimes based on administrative errors or minor offenses such as failing to disclose information to universities or research institutions and other activities under the pretext of combating economic espionage. As a result, Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars are ensnared by overzealous prosecutions riddled with racial bias that are ruining careers and leaving lives in shambles.
The letter includes a set of recommendations, which first calls for an immediate end to the “China Initiative” and a complete review of all prosecutions and investigations closed prior to prosecution under the initiative. It also urges the incoming administration to review and take measures throughout the Federal Government’s law enforcement, intelligence, and scientific research funding agencies to combat other patterns of racial bias against Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists and federal employees. The letter and list of organizations and individuals that signed on can be found here.
“This latest wave of xenophobia against Asian Americans and Asian immigrants follows a long history of Asian Americans and immigrants being stereotyped as “perpetual foreigners,” scapegoated, and profiled as spies disloyal to the United States,” said John C. Yang, Advancing Justice – AAJC’s president and executive director. “Individual cases of wrongful arrests and prosecutions of Asian American scientists and researchers along with racial rhetoric from public officials reveal that racial bias exists and has translated into real harm for the Asian American community.”
"Basing criminal investigations on national origin and Chinese ancestry is unconstitutional and a waste of resources," said Glenn Katon, Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus Director of Litigation. "When the government prosecutes scientists and researchers simply so public officials can look tough, no one is made safer. The Biden administration has the chance to protect Asian Americans and Asian immigrants across this country - they should take it."
"Racial profiling has proven to be an ineffective, divisive, and counterproductive law enforcement tactic, and yet the Justice Department inexplicably still promotes its use through programs like the ‘China Initiative'," said Brennan Center fellow Michael German, a former FBI agent. "Pressuring all U.S. Attorneys' Offices to initiate 'China Initiative' cases compels racial, ethnic, and national origin profiling, which undermines our security and the rule of law by targeting investigations based on a person's 'nexus to China' rather than evidence of serious wrongdoing."
"Foreign-born scientists of Chinese origin have been an integral part of American innovation and global leadership. Our nation can protect our scientific and research security and successfully compete in the global marketplace for international scientific talent, but not by overzealous, xenophobic targeting of top talents that ruins lives and drives them to foreign countries that have been trying to recruit them unsuccessfully," said Professor Steven Pei, a leader for the APA Justice Task Force.
Links and References
2021/08/24 Rafu Shimpo: AAPI Civil Rights Groups Ask Biden to Pause DOJ’s China Initiative
2021/08/19 Coalition Letter: AAPI Organizations Urge President Biden to Speak Out and Act More
2021/07/22 Foreign Policy: Time to End the U.S. Justice Department’s China Initiative
2021/07/15 American Institute of Physics: Protests Growing Against Justice Department’s China Initiative
2021/04/21 Amnesty International: Calls on Biden administration to end “China Initiative”
2021/04/09 Advancing Justice | AAJC: Petition to President Biden to End the "China Initiative"
2021/03/02 Inside Higher Ed: Reconsidering the ‘China Initiative’
2021/02/22 Lawfare: The Biden Administration Should Review and Rebuild the Trump Administration’s China Initiative From the Ground Up
2021/02/16 The Atlantic: Fears of China Are Disrupting American Science
2021/01/26 White House: Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States
2021/01/08 Documented: Chinese Students In The US Caught Up In Geopolitics And Trump's Immigration Crackdown
2021/01/07 US-Asia Law Institute: Time to Reassess and Reframe the US Government's "China Initiative"
2021/01/06 Inside Higher Ed: Groups Call on Biden to End DOJ ‘China Initiative’
2021/01/05 APA Justice/Advancing Justice | AAJC/Brennan Center: Joint Letter to President-elect Joe Biden to End DOJ's "China Initiative"
2019/10/03 Nature: Chinese scientists and US leadership in the life sciences
2019/09/04 60 Top Scientific Organizations: Call for Balance Between Open Scientific Environment and Protecting Our Economic and National Security
2019/08/21 150 Pharmaceutical Chiefs and Scientists: Chinese scientists and US leadership in the life sciences
2019/09/12 PEN America: Statement in Response to Report the FBI is urging Universities to Monitor Chinese Students and Scholars
2019/07/01 Committee of Concerned Scientists: U.S. Government Profiling Ethnic Chinese Scientists
2019/03/21 The Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America et al: Racial Profiling Harms Science
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2021/01/05 Letter to President-Elect Joe Biden
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Houston:
After the closure of Chinese Consulate General 
China's Consulate in Houston was shut down on July 24, after being accused of a "spy center" to conduct spying activities with medical center or universities in the Houston area. Within the past week, FBI agents have begun to knock on doors to demand interviews with persons of Chinese descent, creating fear and anguish. Community leaders expressed concerns about a "witch hunt" for “spies” by the FBI to use Chinese Americans as “scapegoat” to justify the political claim, for which the government has provided few supporting evidences.
On July 26, the Intercept published an article: Was The Chinese Consulate in Houston Really a Hotbed of Economic Espionage? According to the article, “people close to China-related investigations in Houston say the decision to close the consulate may be more about politics than spy threats.” On August 6, 2020, OCA, UCA, the Asian American Justice Center, and other organizations will co-host a “Know Your Rights” webinar to address the urgent question, "What to do if you are questioned by the FBI or police?" Call in phone number: +1 346 248 7799 Zoom meeting ID: 881 7264 1353 https://us02web.zoom.us/88172641353 Email your questions to
Resources
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休斯顿：
中国领事馆关闭之后 
在被指控为 “间谍中心” 与休斯顿地区的医疗中心或大学进行间谍活动之后，中国领事馆于2020年7月24日被关闭。在过去一周内，联邦调查局（FBI）特工开始敲门要求对在美华人进行采访，造成恐惧和担忧。政府对 “间谍中心” 的指控提供很少的支持证据。社区领袖对联邦调查局将问题政治化，以 “猎巫” 手段寻找 “间谍” ，将华裔美国人作为 “替罪羊” ，表示担忧。
7月26日，《拦截》杂志发表一篇文章：中国驻休斯敦领事馆真的是经济间谍活动的温床吗？文章称，“接近休斯敦与有关中国的调查人员说，关闭领事馆的决定可能更多是关于政治，而不是间谍威胁。” 2020年8月6日，OCA，UCA，亚裔司法中心和其他组织将共同举办“了解您的权利”网络研讨会，以解决紧急问题：“如果FBI或警察对您提出质疑，该怎么办？ ” 电话: +1 346 248 7799 Zoom meeting ID: 881 7264 1353 https://us02web.zoom.us/88172641353 Email your questions to
资源
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"Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who chairs the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) sent letters demanding documents about the two agencies' investigations into whether Chinese Americans were working as spies on behalf of China," The Hill reported on February 20, 2020.
"While the two lawmakers acknowledged that there have been some confirmed cases of espionage, they questioned whether the focus on Chinese Americans amounted to racial profiling."
In their letter to Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, Reps. Raskin and Chu pointed to sample cases of Sherry Chen, Professor Xiaoxing Xi and Dr. Wei Su and requested specific information of the FBI investigations and prosecutions involving theft or attempted threat of intellectual property, monitoring of Chinese students and scholars, communications with NIH, college and university security efforts, and counterintelligence training materials, covering the period of January 1, 2014 to the present. The House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties requested the FBI delivery of documents by March 5, 2020.
In their letter to National Institute of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, Reps. Raskin and Chu requested specific information about mass mailings by NIH to 18,000 administrators, cases under NIH investigations and Office of Inspector General referrals, disclosure guidelines, and all communications with the FBI, covering the period of June 1, 2016 to the present. The House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties requested the NIH delivery of documents by March 5, 2020.
"While the two lawmakers acknowledged that there have been some confirmed cases of espionage, they questioned whether the focus on Chinese Americans amounted to racial profiling."
In their letter to Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, Reps. Raskin and Chu pointed to sample cases of Sherry Chen, Professor Xiaoxing Xi and Dr. Wei Su and requested specific information of the FBI investigations and prosecutions involving theft or attempted threat of intellectual property, monitoring of Chinese students and scholars, communications with NIH, college and university security efforts, and counterintelligence training materials, covering the period of January 1, 2014 to the present. The House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties requested the FBI delivery of documents by March 5, 2020.
In their letter to National Institute of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, Reps. Raskin and Chu requested specific information about mass mailings by NIH to 18,000 administrators, cases under NIH investigations and Office of Inspector General referrals, disclosure guidelines, and all communications with the FBI, covering the period of June 1, 2016 to the present. The House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties requested the NIH delivery of documents by March 5, 2020.
Links and References
2020/02/25 NBC News: Democratic lawmakers launch investigation into FBI handling of Chinese espionage
JDSupra: House Members Send Letters to FBI, NIH Directors on Possible Racial Profiling of Chinese Scientists
Homeland Preparedness News: Lawmakers seek information on targeting Chinese-American scientists as potential spies
2020/02/21 Law360: Congress Probes Civil Rights Issues In China Investigations
2020/02/20 Bloomberg: House Panel Investigates Racial Profiling of Chinese Scientists
2020/02/20 Washington Examiner: 'New Red Scare': House Democrats scrutinize FBI investigations into ethnically Chinese scientists
2020/02/20 The Hill: House Democrats launch probe into NIH and FBI suspecting Chinese Americans of espionage
2020/02/20 Congressional letter to NIH Director Francis Collins
2020/02/20 Congressional letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray
JDSupra: House Members Send Letters to FBI, NIH Directors on Possible Racial Profiling of Chinese Scientists
Homeland Preparedness News: Lawmakers seek information on targeting Chinese-American scientists as potential spies
2020/02/21 Law360: Congress Probes Civil Rights Issues In China Investigations
2020/02/20 Bloomberg: House Panel Investigates Racial Profiling of Chinese Scientists
2020/02/20 Washington Examiner: 'New Red Scare': House Democrats scrutinize FBI investigations into ethnically Chinese scientists
2020/02/20 The Hill: House Democrats launch probe into NIH and FBI suspecting Chinese Americans of espionage
2020/02/20 Congressional letter to NIH Director Francis Collins
2020/02/20 Congressional letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray
Links and References
2021/06/23 NBC News: How hate incidents led to a reckoning of casual racism against Asian Americans
2021/05/07 C&ENews: Asian scientists are rethinking the American dream
C&ENews: Fear and confusion continue over research interactions with China
2021/03/04 Voice of America: Scientists Push Back on DOJ Charges Against Harvard Professor
2021/02/04 美国华人杂谈: 被起诉的教授们、中国计划和种族定性，美国华人该怎么办？
2021/02/01 正义补丁: 被起诉的教授们、中国计划和种族定性，美国华人该怎么办？
2021/01/22 Wall Street Journal: Justice Department Weighs Amnesty for Academics to Disclose Foreign Funding
2021/05/07 C&ENews: Asian scientists are rethinking the American dream
C&ENews: Fear and confusion continue over research interactions with China
2021/03/04 Voice of America: Scientists Push Back on DOJ Charges Against Harvard Professor
2021/02/04 美国华人杂谈: 被起诉的教授们、中国计划和种族定性，美国华人该怎么办？
2021/02/01 正义补丁: 被起诉的教授们、中国计划和种族定性，美国华人该怎么办？
2021/01/22 Wall Street Journal: Justice Department Weighs Amnesty for Academics to Disclose Foreign Funding