The controversial China Initiative is ending — researchers are relieved

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The US Department of Justice has announced major changes to the espionage-detection programme. But scientists hope for further acknowledgement of the damage done.

surveyed nearly 2,000 scientists in the United States. About half of respondents of Chinese descent reported experiencing “considerable” fear, anxiety or a mixture of both that they are being surveilled by the US government. Only 12% of non-Chinese scientists reported the same concern. The survey also found that many US scientists of Chinese heritage had become less inclined to communicate with scholars in China.

Mechanical engineer Gang Chen at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge was arrested under the China Initiative. Prosecutors later dropped the charges.

Hu says that the reforms are “encouraging” and could be a positive start to healing the hurt caused by his and others’ wrongful prosecution. However, he is waiting to see what action the government actually takes, and whether the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies are held to account for their behaviour. Some researchers have been trying to get the US government to make amends for wrongful prosecutions.

after his wrongful arrest for allegedly sharing restricted technological know-how with China. His case pre-dates the China Initiative, but shares features with those brought under the programme. Prosecutors dropped his charges ahead of trial.that he applauds the changes but also thinks that the US Congress should hold the DoJ and FBI to account for the “harassment” of academic researchers.

 

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The controversial China Initiative is ending — researchers are relievedThe US Department of Justice announced major changes to the espionage-protection programme. But scientists hope for further acknowledgement of the damage done. This is a mistake. Our leaders are compromised and incompetent.
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