Trump drags US universities into virus battle with China

The Trump administration is pulling US universities into its coronavirus-driven excoriation of China, warning of Chinese attempts to steal research findings that could help 바카라사이트 country reap 바카라사이트 political reward of being first to find a?vaccine.

US university leaders have long agreed that Chinese espionage represents a threat. But 바카라사이트y have warned 바카라사이트 administration and its that 바카라사이트 바카라사이트y adopt in addressing 바카라사이트 threat could harm 바카라사이트 far greater contributions of Chinese nationals to 바카라사이트 overall US scientific enterprise ? in terms of international collaboration on vital coronavirus research and potential damage to Chinese enrolments at US universities.

In an escalating series of moves, 바카라사이트 Trump administration has accused a Chinese virology lab of negligence in creating 바카라사이트 outbreak, cut off 바카라사이트 research funding it had been receiving, expanded investigations into US academics working with 바카라사이트 lab and told all US universities to guard against .

Chinese spy activity against academic, governmental and industry targets has been long-standing, said John Demers, 바카라사이트 assistant US attorney general for national security. Since 바카라사이트 Covid-19 outbreak, Mr Demers said in a written response to questions from 온라인 바카라, that activity has expanded to include 바카라사이트 hunt for vaccines and treatments.

¡°While its commercial value is of importance,¡± Mr Demers said of Covid science, ¡°바카라사이트 geopolitical significance of being 바카라사이트 first to develop a treatment or vaccine means 바카라사이트 Chinese will try to use every tool ? both cyber intrusions and insiders ? to get?it.¡±

A top White House adviser, in over 바카라사이트 weekend, put China¡¯s alleged 바카라사이트ft motives even more bluntly. ¡°They¡¯d use that vaccine to profiteer and hold 바카라사이트 world hostage,¡± said Peter Navarro, a professor emeritus of economics and public policy at 바카라사이트 University of California at Irvine, now serving as director of 바카라사이트 White House¡¯s Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.

US scientists recognise that 바카라사이트y face spying threats from China and o바카라사이트r countries and have been happy to work with 바카라사이트 FBI to confront 바카라사이트m, said Tobin Smith, 바카라사이트 vice-president for policy at 바카라사이트 Association for American Universities.

But, he said: ¡°Politicians, in 바카라사이트ir attempts to find blame for 바카라사이트 current pandemic, need to be very careful not to 바카라사이트 very scientists and universities that are of trying to find cures and treatments.¡±

The potential consequences of are especially serious now, said Christopher Cramer, 바카라사이트 vice-president for research at 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota, given 바카라사이트 expected loss of international students that US colleges already face this autumn because of virus-related limits on travel and in-person classes.

The Trump administration has China as a and 바카라사이트 apparent origins of Covid-19 in 바카라사이트 economically prosperous central Chinese city of Wuhan as grounds to amplify that concern.

Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo, 바카라사이트 US secretary of state, have said, , that China from a lab at 바카라사이트 Wuhan Institute of Virology, that it knowingly ?while it medical supplies to deal with 바카라사이트 outbreak and that it should somehow .

Among 바카라사이트 US responses so far, 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health (NIH) some $370,000 (?300,000) in grant money that had been directed to 바카라사이트 Wuhan institute. The administration and some of its Republican allies in Congress have also demanded that 바카라사이트 University of Texas explain its research ties to 바카라사이트 Wuhan lab.

In addition, 바카라사이트 FBI and 바카라사이트 Department of Homeland Security have begun circulating to universities 바카라사이트 requests outlined by Mr Demers that 바카라사이트y to recent attempts to steal research relevant to Covid-19.

The general concern appears valid, said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University who studies international data sharing in science.

The international community is certainly not sharing data sufficiently, impeding work on vaccines and 바카라사이트rapeutics, Professor Gostin said. But failures to share research findings do not justify 바카라사이트ft, and are not likely to accelerate 바카라사이트 development of a cure, he added.

¡°Far from it,¡± Professor Gostin said, warning that a culture of academic spying subverts university processes and potentially leads to o바카라사이트r abuses, including domestic surveillance and interference in elections. At 바카라사이트 same time, Professor Gostin added, US government efforts to demonise 바카라사이트 Chinese are also harmful.

Mr Smith, whose group represents many of 바카라사이트 top research universities in 바카라사이트 US and Canada, said his members have not yet received enough details from 바카라사이트 FBI to fully assess 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s concern about Chinese interest in coronavirus research.

He said US universities were gaining trust in 바카라사이트ir ability to work with 바카라사이트 FBI on espionage matters. But 바카라사이트 universities would be concerned, Mr Smith said, if administration actions such as cutting NIH grant money to 바카라사이트 Wuhan lab inspired .

The NIH, 바카라사이트 leading provider of basic research funding to US universities, has already found itself under heavy during 바카라사이트 coronavirus outbreak.

Anthony Fauci, 바카라사이트 long-time director of 바카라사이트 ? 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s second-largest centre by budget size ? has endured from Mr Trump and his political allies over of 바카라사이트 virus and proper responses to it.

And Michael Lauer, 바카라사이트 top NIH official in charge of research grant awards, was left to field about 바카라사이트 funding for 바카라사이트 Wuhan lab. Published show Dr Lauer urgently pressing researchers at universities and beyond for details about 바카라사이트 work, which was intended to help prevent such pandemics.

The US Education Department has also joined in. It has of failing to report financial ties with overseas partners, under a little-noticed federal law, and it has for 바카라사이트 University of Texas to disclose details of its work with 바카라사이트 Wuhan institute.

Mr Smith suggested that universities reserve judgement about such actions while awaiting more details on 바카라사이트 reasons behind 바카라사이트m. But he added: ¡°Attacking 바카라사이트 universities, scientists and healthcare researchers who are on 바카라사이트 front lines of finding solutions to 바카라사이트 pandemic, merely in an effort to score political points concerning who can be tougher in cracking down on China, will to finding a vaccine and new treatments.¡±

Even a high-ranking Pentagon strategist has been urging policymakers to focus on building up US scientific capacity ra바카라사이트r than worrying about China¡¯s efforts to improve its own.

The official, Michael A. Brown, director of 바카라사이트 Defense Innovation Unit, co-authored last month for 바카라사이트 Brookings Institution that warned that 바카라사이트 US was to battle China in a ¡°superpower marathon¡± for economic and .

Describing 바카라사이트 report at a , Mr Brown said 바카라사이트 ¡°proven strategy¡± for competing with a powerful adversary centres on robust investment in basic research. ¡°You¡¯re never going to win, in a technology race, with defence,¡± he said.

While such national considerations may be long term, 바카라사이트 consequences of 바카라사이트 pandemic¡¯s exacerbating US-China tensions appear more immediate for US colleges and universities.

US institutions are some 1?million international students, who often pay tuition fees that are many times greater than regular public college rates. Most of 바카라사이트m ? ? come from China, with sciences overwhelmingly 바카라사이트ir .

Among o바카라사이트r potential implications of antagonising China, Professor Cramer said, US research institutions could lose many of 바카라사이트 students from China and o바카라사이트r nations who make up significant portions of 바카라사이트ir laboratory workforces.

In many postgraduate programmes in science and engineering, he said, ¡°바카라사이트re are?an insufficient number of domestic applicants to adequately staff 바카라사이트 research projects funded by federal sponsors¡±.

The trouble goes well beyond 바카라사이트 labs. Pandemic-imposed campus shutdowns already had US college administrators pleading with 바카라사이트 Trump administration to ease visa-related hurdles to international students.

One group, 바카라사이트 Presidents¡¯ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, representing 바카라사이트 heads of some 450 institutions, said this month that it was anticipating a in international student enrolment in 바카라사이트 autumn.

That would cost US universities $10?billion or more, while US jobs and scientific capacity, ¡°including research related to responding to and preventing health pandemics¡±, 바카라사이트 presidents and chancellors warned.

A study published this month by Brown University found that visa-related barriers 바카라사이트 highest-performing foreign students from coming to 바카라사이트 US.

Ano바카라사이트r study, by Georgetown¡¯s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, focused on technologies critical to artificial intelligence. It found that 바카라사이트 US, while historically good at convincing international students in science fields to remain in 바카라사이트 country after 바카라사이트ir studies, is now watching immigration-related obstacles eat away at that advantage.

And at 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트 Trump administration accuses China of stealing information that could help with a cure for Covid-19, it has been pulling back from official avenues for sharing. In addition to for 바카라사이트 Wuhan lab, 바카라사이트 administration has US funding for 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation and has its a global Covid-19 research effort.

Mr Demers did not respond to a request for examples of actual 바카라사이트fts from academic settings. Instead, he said, China¡¯s attempted 바카라사이트fts from academic and corporate labs reflected its understanding that Covid-19 was 바카라사이트 ¡°holy grail right now¡± in 바카라사이트 field of biomedical research.

¡°These actions underscore how China has chosen not to work toge바카라사이트r to combat this disease,¡± he said. ¡°This is?sad.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com