![]() One of the earliest and most persistent criticisms of the China Initiative was that it might lead to an increase in racial profiling against individuals of Chinese descent, Asian Americans, and Asian immigrants. Outcomes for defendants charged under the China Initiative Nearly 90% of all cases are against people of Chinese origin ![]() That’s a sharp contrast to the usual outcomes of federal criminal cases, where the vast majority end in a guilty plea, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of federal statistics. While eight are still pending, seven cases against academics have ended in dismissal or acquittal while six have ended in a guilty plea or conviction. In particular, many of the cases concerned with research integrity have fallen apart. And of the 95 individuals still facing charges, 71 are not being actively prosecuted because the defendant is in an unknown location or cannot be extradited. Almost two-thirds of cases-64%-are still pending. Of the 148 individuals charged, only 40 have pleaded or been found guilty, with guilty pleas often involving lesser charges than originally brought. ![]() Three years after the program’s start, less than a third of China Initiative defendants have been convicted. China Initiative cases aren’t as successful as the DoJ claims Instead, the national security implications seem to center around concerns that any individuals with links to China could serve as “non-traditional collectors,” which the China Initiative fact sheet describes as “researchers in labs, universities, and the defense industrial base that are being coopted into transferring technology contrary to US interests.” But as our database shows, only two of 22 researchers were ever accused of trying to improperly access information or smuggle goods into China. Funding agencies allegedly defrauded in research integrity cases NIH’s efforts predate the China Initiative, and the representative referred questions on the initiative to the Justice Department. Nine of 23 research integrity cases involve health and medical researchers, including people studying heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer six of those centered on researchers funded by NIH-a reflection of the institute’s aggressive stance on countering “inappropriate influence by foreign governments over federally funded research,” said a representative of the NIH Office of Extramural Research. But most of the work in these areas is basic research, and many disciplines in which cases have been brought have no clear links to national security. The initiative’s increasing focus on research integrity has included several cases of academics working on topics such as artificial intelligence or robotics, which may have national security applications. (At least four cases of trade secret theft also involve alleged talent program participation.)įederal officials have repeatedly said that participation in talent programs is not illegal-though they have also called them “brain gain programs,” in the words of Bill Priestap, former FBI assistant director of counterintelligence, that “encourage theft of intellectual property from US institutions.” Cases charged under the China Initiative by year National security links are sometimes weak. (One research integrity case in 2020 also included a charge of violating the EEA.)Īt least 14 of these research integrity cases began due to suspicions arising from links to “talent programs,” in which Chinese universities provide financial incentives for academics to conduct research, teach, or bring other activities back to the sponsoring institution, on a part- or full-time basis. By 2020, 16 of the 31 (52%) of newly announced cases were. In 2018, none of the cases were about research integrity. Our analysis shows a significant shift in focus toward academics beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2020.
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