Key facts
- Dozens of researchers, many Chinese-American, are under investigation.
- The House Select Committee on China released a report on research theft.
- Law enforcement activity concerning foreign ties of scientists has increased.
- Legislation aims to establish a "Chinese Communist Party Initiative" in the DOJ.
A US congressional committee has released details of investigations into dozens of researchers, many of them Chinese-American, over alleged links to China. The documents, running to hundreds of pages, were released alongside a report by the House Select Committee on China titled “How to Stop China’s Theft of Taxpayer-Funded Research.”
Law enforcement and prosecutors are reportedly taking a renewed interest in the foreign ties of scientists, universities, and companies with advanced technology. Practitioners specializing in representing such entities have seen a significant increase in investigative activity in recent weeks.
The "China Initiative," a program launched by the Department of Justice in 2018 to combat economic espionage, was largely characterized by fraud charges against academic scientists for failing to list foreign affiliations on grant applications. The initiative was ended after a high-profile case against MIT professor Gang Chen was dropped by the government. However, some elected officials are calling for its return and have reintroduced legislation to establish a similar "Chinese Communist Party Initiative" within the DOJ.