US-China tech war shrouded by ‘new red scare’ as Donald Trump cracks down on IP theft
- More federal cases have been filed against Chinese firms since the US launched its initiative to combat intellectual property theft and economic espionage
- Lawyers and Chinese scientists fear that prosecution is increasingly racially charged
Chinese scientists in America are increasingly wary that US prosecutors will unfairly pursue cases against them based on race, as part of US President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown on Chinese intellectual property theft, a hugely contentious issue in the ongoing US-China trade and tech war.
Such mounting worries come after Washington launched the China Initiative in November to identify and prosecute those engaging in trade-secret theft, hacking and economic espionage that harm US interests.
At least five federal criminal cases related to trade secrets have been filed since the Department of Justice launched the initiative, with dozens more expected to come, according to US-based lawyers.
The initiative comprises senior Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and justice department officials, as well as US attorneys in key districts across the country.
Ivy League universities administrators have also been officially warned by the FBI to be vigilant against Chinese students who may be gathering technological secrets from their laboratories to pass back to Beijing.
There have been successful prosecutions of Chinese nationals and Chinese Americans. On Monday, Houston businessman Shan Shi was convicted of conspiracy to steal trade secrets related to a synthetic foam that could be used for civilian and military marine uses.