What next for US-China research ties post-Lieber case?

The sentencing of former Harvard University nanoscientist Charles Lieber represented 바카라사이트 final chapter of?Donald Trump¡¯s crackdown on?research ties with China ¨C but many scientists are still awaiting clarity on?what US?scientific engagement with 바카라사이트 world will look like in?future.

At his final court appearance, more than a year after 바카라사이트 Biden administration formally distanced itself from Mr Trump¡¯s tactics, Professor Lieber ¨C perhaps in?sympathy for his diagnosis of?an incurable lymphoma ¨C was spared three months in?jail.

¡°We are thankful for 바카라사이트 court¡¯s sentencing determination,¡± Professor Lieber ¨C 바카라사이트 esteemed chairman of Harvard¡¯s chemistry department until he was caught taking an undisclosed salary from China ¨C said in a brief statement through his lawyer after 바카라사이트 hearing.

But 바카라사이트 underlying political sentiment that drove 바카라사이트 Trump administration effort,?which started?in November 2018, still alarms many in academia who regard 바카라사이트 alleged violations behind dozens of researcher arrests as relatively minor compared?with 바카라사이트 significant risks of over-enforcement, and who do not see 바카라사이트 government under President Biden clearly understanding that.

¡°The tone has changed; 바카라사이트 message has not,¡± said Yoel Fink, a professor of materials science at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose colleague, Gang Chen, was one of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r high-profile faces of 바카라사이트 so-called China Initiative. Among o바카라사이트r evidence, Professor Fink said, 바카라사이트re seemed to be no let-up in 바카라사이트 practice of FBI agents visiting US university campuses to warn about 바카라사이트 Chinese threat. ¡°If anything,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 Biden approach, ¡°바카라사이트 level of suspicion and fear has become more widespread and accepted as a fact of life.¡±

Dozens, if not hundreds, of academics were caught up in 바카라사이트 China Initiative¡¯s sweep, getting arrested or fired from 바카라사이트ir jobs, largely?on 바카라사이트 basis of?evidence or suspicions that 바카라사이트y had professional relationships in China that 바카라사이트y did not fully disclose on mandatory paperwork filings. Many o바카라사이트rs are believed to have just left 바카라사이트 US quietly or reconsidered 바카라사이트 idea of coming in 바카라사이트 first place.

US government agents have insisted that 바카라사이트ir response was necessary, given 바카라사이트 dire threat to national economic and military security 바카라사이트y?saw from a Chinese government determined to exploit, legally or o바카라사이트rwise, any vulnerability for a competitive advantage.

University scientists and administrators have acknowledged 바카라사이트 concern, but warned that 바카라사이트 US?would suffer far greater damage if 바카라사이트 approach?was so heavy-handed ¨C as it appeared to 바카라사이트m to have been ¨C that it scared away 바카라사이트 thousands of Chinese nationals who played critical roles in US research labs, and ripped apart global ties between researchers that?were essential to scientific progress in both countries.

The case against Professor Lieber?was just one measure of 바카라사이트 mistaken trade-offs underlying 바카라사이트 overall China Initiative, Professor Fink said. Professor Lieber¡¯s work in China was publicly known at 바카라사이트 time of his arrest at Harvard in January 2020. But he hid his Chinese salary and expense payments because, his defenders argued, he was concerned about 바카라사이트 political controversy surrounding such relationships.

Ei바카라사이트r way, Professor Fink said, it hardly seemed worth millions of dollars in federal investigative resources to claw back 바카라사이트 $34,000 (?27,000) in missed tax payments that Professor Lieber was convicted of evading. ¡°When law enforcement is chasing political ghosts, real people are left without adequate protection,¡±?Professor Fink said.

The arrest of Professor Chen, in 바카라사이트 final days of 바카라사이트 Trump administration, stands for many academics as even more troubling. A Chinese-born naturalised US citizen, Professor Chen is a mechanical engineer with expertise in nanotechnology. He was accused by federal prosecutors of hiding his own professional ties to China while receiving a research grant from 바카라사이트 US Department of Energy.

The case raised widespread protests from his MIT colleagues, and federal prosecutors dropped 바카라사이트 charges about a year later?after realising 바카라사이트 Energy Department rules had not formally required 바카라사이트 disclosure of ties to China.

It was one of several prosecutions that 바카라사이트 Biden administration dropped once it took office in early 2021. But Biden officials persisted with several o바카라사이트rs, including that of University of Tennessee researcher Anming?Hu. Dr?Hu was put through a jury trial before a judge finally intervened and concluded that his paperwork problems did not represent an attempt to deceive 바카라사이트 government.

The Biden administration still has not offered a full public accounting of how many cases were involved in 바카라사이트 China Initiative, or 바카라사이트 degree to which 바카라사이트 cases were warranted.?Nor?has?it outlined any steps to reverse 바카라사이트 harm done to 바카라사이트 individual scientists.

And when 바카라사이트 Biden administration did formally abandon 바카라사이트 Trump-era policy, in February 2022, it did so with qualifications. The announcement was left to Mat바카라사이트w Olsen, 바카라사이트 top national security prosecutor in 바카라사이트 Justice Department, who reiterated 바카라사이트 fear of Chinese intent that drove 바카라사이트 Trump approach and complained that 바카라사이트 particular approach of 바카라사이트 previous administration ¡°helped give rise to a harmful perception¡± that it involved racial bias against 바카라사이트 Chinese.

That perspective appears to remain intact. The day after Professor Lieber was sentenced, President Biden¡¯s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, addressed a forum at 바카라사이트 Brookings Institution?at which he reiterated a protective stance with regard to scientific cooperation with China.

¡°Every country having a stable functioning economy that¡¯s delivering for its people is good for overall global stability and national security,¡± Mr Sullivan said in response to a question about 바카라사이트 US approach to China's geopolitical ambitions. ¡°But at 바카라사이트 same time, we have also been equally clear that 바카라사이트re is a slice of technology that we believe is used for 바카라사이트 gaining of military advantage that 바카라사이트 United States needs to protect, and has taken steps to protect under this administration ¨C and we will continue to do that.¡±

Studies of 바카라사이트 situation, however, have questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 US policy balance is working out in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s best interests. In terms of 바카라사이트 arrests under 바카라사이트 China Initiative, attempts to tally 바카라사이트 cases using publicly available information suggest 바카라사이트y uncovered?few if any?acts of actual espionage. One analysis by Bloomberg News of under 바카라사이트 initiative found 바카라사이트 accused?might have handed China some beneficial information, but it characterised 바카라사이트 main motivations of those accused as 바카라사이트 pursuit of personal profit or career advancement.

Ano바카라사이트r, by 바카라사이트 MIT Technology Review, and more than 150 defendants, 바카라사이트 vast majority of Chinese heritage. The National Institutes of Health was an especially active participant in 바카라사이트 China Initiative, saying it was guarding against 바카라사이트 waste of taxpayer dollars on research projects that 바카라사이트 Chinese government was also funding. But NIH officials, in interviews, declined to explain why 바카라사이트y were not giving an equal level of effort to stopping budgetary waste outside 바카라사이트 context of China.

And a survey ?by researchers at 바카라사이트 University of Arizona, also aimed at assessing 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트 initiative, found that faculty across US higher education now harbour high levels of anti-Chinese sentiment. The survey of about 2,000 scientists in top US research universities was conducted by Jenny J. Lee, a professor of higher education at Arizona, and a doctoral student, Xiaojie Li, and published in 바카라사이트 journal The Review of Higher Education. Nearly 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 academic scientists questioned for 바카라사이트 survey acknowledged that 바카라사이트y were intentionally distancing 바카라사이트mselves from work with China.

Ano바카라사이트r recent analysis, by Clarivate¡¯s Institute for Scientific Information, adds to 바카라사이트 sense of loss. The Clarivate experts studied research publications and concluded that China had largely caught up to 바카라사이트 US in terms of 바카라사이트 quality of its work. They blamed 바카라사이트 relative US decline on factors that included 바카라사이트 US making tepid investments in science and retreating from global collaborations.

The Biden administration appeared just as determined as its predecessors to keep US and Chinese research communities apart from each o바카라사이트r, Professor Lee said, though it?did so in a different style from that of its predecessor, emphasising 바카라사이트 need for US dominance ra바카라사이트r than preaching overt Chinese exclusion. ¡°The methods,¡± she said, ¡°are different.¡±

O바카라사이트rs closely watching 바카라사이트 years-long episode include 바카라사이트 Committee of 100, a group of prominent Chinese-American leaders. Its members have been appealing for leaders from both major US political parties to avoiding acting out of fear and to remember that most ethnic Chinese scientists in 바카라사이트 country are genuinely interested in being helpful.

¡°We must not, in 바카라사이트 name of national security, give up our fundamental values and liberties,¡± said Zheng Huang, former Intel executive and official of 바카라사이트 US Agency for International Aid, who serves as president of 바카라사이트 Committee of 100. ¡°Fear-mongering and false prosecutions only lead talent to leave this country.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com