Washington’s campaign against Chinese-related academics is under pressure as another case falls

Proponents say the China Initiative has become an excuse to profile race, part of the long history of the U.S., to treat Asian-Americans as unreliable foreigners. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act banned the entry of Chinese immigrants into the country for 10 years, and during World War II, the federal government arrested hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese-Americans. There were cases of failed espionage against Chinese-American scientists under the Clinton and Obama administrations, among others. Wen Ho Lee Los Alamos National Laboratory, Temple University Xi Xiaoxing, and Sherry Chen of the National Weather Service.

“The China Initiative is explicitly based on the existence of an ethnic theory … people of Chinese descent – whether U.S. citizens or Canadian citizens – to act in violation of American law in Beijing,” says Frank Wu, president of Queens College at New York City University. Under this system, “common behaviors such as scientific cooperation or visiting your mother [in China] suddenly become a suspect. ”

Huang of MIT says it has also had a huge impact on Chinese-American scientists. In his meetings with the Asian American Scholar Forum, others expressed fears of being arrested, fear of losing funding, and fear of being perceived by non-Asian colleagues. Young doctoral students are no longer looking for teaching positions in the U.S., he says, while established scientists are looking for international opportunities. A number He returned to China to prestigious positions—The result he hoped would prevent Chinese initiatives — after the destruction of U.S. careers.

“It’s pretty bad and pretty broad. We are seeing this atmosphere of horror devour Chinese-American scientists, “says Huang.” The US is losing the most talented people to other countries because of the China Initiative. That’s bad for science. That’s bad for America. “

Hu’s case was played out

For activists and civil society researchers following the China Initiative, the Hu case is astonishing.

Hu, a Chinese-born Canadian citizen, is a renowned researcher in nanotechnology. In 2013, he was hired by the University of Tennessee to teach and pursue research. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Hu has repeatedly stated that he worked part-time teaching graduate students and researchers at Beijing University of Technology.

This did not cause any problems then. Hu “began cooperating with NASA when it began to cooperate” with any research that involves “participation, cooperation, or coordination” with “China or a Chinese-owned corporation.” to him, not to his research assistants.

In 2018, however, the FBI identified Hu as a potential spy. In court testimony, Agent Sadiku said he found and made a “rough translation” through Google through a Chinese note and a brochure that Hu once received a short-term contract from the Thousand Talents Program. That was enough evidence for Sadiku to open a formal probe.

During Hu’s first visit to Sadiku’s Hu office, the agent tried to admit that he was involved in a talent program.

“They said, ‘You’re very smart. You should be on a thousand talent program,'” he told the trial. “I say, ‘I’m not so smart.’

Sadiku also tried to persuade him to become a US government spy, using the work of Peking University as a cover. Hu refused to email him after Sadiku’s visit. After that, Sadiku duplicated his research, placing Hu and his son, who was then a new student at UT, in custody.

But after nearly two years, Sadiku spied away from the claims and instead began to build a case of fraud in which Hu was accused. The evidence was based on the form the university requires academics to complete, disclosing outside work that earns more than $ 10,000. Hu did not give up a part-time job because he earned less than $ 2,000. Sadiku says that Hu deliberately hid Hu’s work related to China to defraud NASA. The jury, however, was unable to decide, and the blockade resulted in a trial.

Under pressure from the FBI

Observers say the details of the case are from others brought in by the Chinese Initiative: an ethnically espionage probe opened against an Chinese researcher is opened with little evidence, and charges are changed later when no trace of economic espionage is found.

According to the former German FBI agent, “It is due to the pressure exerted on FBI agents across the country, in all FBI offices. [and] All U.S. law firms need to be developed on a case-by-case basis because they need to prove statistical adjustments. ”

Shortly after learning of the trial on Thursday, June 17, members of the House Judiciary Committee wrote to the chief inspector of the Justice Department. Asking the DOJ to investigate whether the FBI has any evidence that has nothing to do with race or ethnicity in opening the case, whether the office has used false information and made false statements, and whether the China Initiative has caused “inappropriate pressure” on ethnic and racial profiling.

This is a growing demand for research into whether the initiative has led to such profiles and calls for a complete end to this program.

“The DOJ does not need any special initiatives to pursue China spies,” says Alex Nowrasteh, director of immigration studies and the Cato Institute’s Center for Trade Policy Research. “They should be able to use normal methods and procedures.”

Hu’s trial suggests that “the scope of Chinese espionage is much less than people think,” he added. “If there were a lot more, you’d think it would be easier to find, and they wouldn’t have to pay attention.”

As for Hu, his nightmare is far from over.

He is still under house arrest until the Justice Department decides to renew or suspend the case or the judge completely dismisses the government charges. He has been out of work since his U.S. work visa expired, but he has also not been given permission to be arrested from home, so he may return to Canada to renew. Doing so could put him on the crossroads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to his lawyer.

What the U.S. government can do is wait for the next move.