US academics condemn ‘racial profiling’ of Chinese students and scholars over spying fears
- Intelligence agencies monitoring people based on country of origin ‘should raise alarms in a democracy’, education bodies warn US government in letter
- It follows spate of dismissals and harassment of Chinese-American researchers in connection with alleged spying on Beijing’s behalf
A letter urging the government to “tread carefully” has been signed by 19 universities and associations including the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), and Scholars at Risk, an international network of academic institutions that supports academic freedom. It was also signed by PEN America, a non-government organisation that promotes free expression through the advancement of literature and human rights.
The organisations acknowledged that “concern with the mounting global reach of Beijing’s tech-enabled authoritarianism is valid”, but they stressed that “calls to monitor individuals solely based on their country of origin violate norms of due process and should raise alarms in a democracy”.
“Efforts by the US to fend off the global arm of autocracy must not mimic the very tactics it professes to reject,” the letter said, referring to Beijing’s extensive use of surveillance on its citizens.