Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Dept. of Justice National Security Division, at a news conference discussing the China Initiative on March 16, 2022. Credit: Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
When the Department of Justice announced last month that it was ending the China Initiative, the controversial Trump-era program that sought to prosecute Chinese espionage, its many critics — particularly in the academic community — breathed a sigh of relief.
Observers say the Initiative ended up unfairly targeting academics of Chinese descent for administrative infractions like improperly filled disclosure forms or grant fraud, rather than countering real threats to U.S. interests. The approach led to high-profile prosecutions of scientists like MIT’s Gang Chen and the University of Tennessee’s Anming Hu, whose cases ended in dismissal or acquittal, but not before inflicting significant damage on their careers.
The question remains, however: How can the U.S. encourage and benefit from collaboration in areas like research and technology with China, without risking its national security?
That dilemma was evident even as Matthew Olsen, head of the DOJ’s national
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
Why is one of Taiwan's largest media groups — Want Want China Times Media Group — spreading anti-U.S. rhetoric? Largely because its billionaire owner, Tsai Eng-meng, is known to sympathize with the Chinese Communist Party and favors unification with the mainland. Now, with Taiwan gearing up for a critical presidential election, Want Want’s efforts are picking up and helping to normalize CCP talking points.
A look at ZPMC: how it came to dominate ports around the world; its role in Chinese foreign policy; and the consequences of its links to the Chinese state.
The author and academic talks about how trade has actually changed over the last 40 years; why China's rise is linked to Asia's regionalization; and why international supply chains are efficient and resilient.
