US to end case against Gang Chen, MIT scientist accused of hiding ties to China
- Dropping prosecution of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor would be a high-profile setback for the Justice Department’s China Initiative
- Chen was not indicted for theft of trade secrets or industrial espionage – the type of cases the initiative was supposed to bring – but rather for paperwork violations
US prosecutors have recommended dropping the case against a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who is accused of masking his ties to China in federal research grant applications, according to a source close to the case.
The criminal action involving Gang Chen, a Chinese-born mechanical engineer and expert in nanotechnology, is one of several that have been brought under the controversial China Initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2018.
Supporters say the initiative, intended to help stem the loss of scientific and technological expertise to China, is necessary to counter Beijing’s increasingly aggressive efforts to appropriate valuable intellectual property. But critics say that the programme has led to racial profiling and excessive prosecution.
“I remain optimistic that DOJ will be making the right decision. And this is not the only case,” said Jeremy Wu, founder of APA Justice, one of numerous Asian-American groups fighting to end the initiative.
“I hope through their continued review, they will give due consideration and recognise they have overreached.”
04:26
Chinese-American scientists fear US racial profiling
A Justice Department spokeswoman said on Friday that she could not confirm any reversal in the Gang Chen case, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, citing sources.