China backs science exchange program following US arrest
As tensions soar between China and the United States, Washington accuses a Harvard professor of "working with China" and files several charges against him.
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Harvard University nanotechnology professor Charles Lieber arrives at the federal courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, US, December 14, 2021 (Reuters)
Beijing defended Wednesday its international scientific exchange programs after the conviction of a Harvard University professor for alleged ties to a Chinese recruitment program.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Beijing manages such exchanges along the same lines as the United States and other countries.
Zhao urged US agencies and officials not to stigmatize such programs but rather "do something conductive to China-US scientific and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.
Professor Charles Lieber, the former chair of Harvard's department of chemistry and chemical biology pleaded not guilty on charges of filing false tax returns, making false statements, and failing to file reports for a foreign bank account in China.
The professor's defense attorney, Marc Mukasey, argued prosecutors lacked proof of the charges, maintaining that investigators kept no records of their interviews with Lieber ahead of his arrest.
On the other hand, prosecutors argued Lieber knowingly hid his involvement in China's Thousand Talents Plan to protect his career and reputation. The professor denied his involvement in the program during US inquiries.
The United States alleges that Lieber had concealed his income from the program, which they claim amounted to millions of dollars. Allegedly, Lieber agreed to publish articles, organize international conferences, and apply for patents on behalf of the Chinese university.
US Justice Department's China Initiative
This case is part of the US Justice Department's China Initiative, which has been under fire for harming academic research and amounting to racial profiling of Chinese researchers.
Hundreds of professors and faculty members at Stanford, Yale, Berkeley, Princeton, Temple, and numerous other renowned academic institutions have signed letters to US Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to end the initiative over its disadvantages.
The United States has been pressing China over several issues and Western allegations, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the South China sea.
