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Justice Department Ends Trump-era China Initiative: NPR

The Justice Department is scrapping a program it launched during the Trump administration to combat Beijing’s theft of American intellectual property.

Yasin Ozturk / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images


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The Justice Department is scrapping a program it launched during the Trump administration to combat Beijing’s theft of American intellectual property.

Yasin Ozturk / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The Justice Department said Wednesday that it is scrapping its China Initiative, a program it launched under the Trump administration. opposes Beijing’s theft of US intellectual property but is increasingly criticized from civil rights groups say it has created a climate of fear among Asian Americans.

The decision to end the program came after a months-long review ordered by the new head of the National Security Division, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen.

“While I remain focused on the growing and significant threat posed by the Chinese government, I have concluded that this initiative is not the right approach,” Olsen said in a statement. speech Wednesday at George Mason University.

Instead, he said, the current threat landscape, which includes Russia, Iran and North Korea along with China, calls for a broader approach.

Ministry of Justice will continue to fight China’s espionage and cyberthreat

The ministry announced the China Initiative in 2018 to counter what officials said at the time – and it was still said – was the Chinese government’s relentless campaign to steal secrets, public advanced American technology and research.

Matthew G. Olsen, of Maryland, nominated as Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice, attends a Senate Judiciary hearing on July 14, 2021.

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Matthew G. Olsen, of Maryland, nominated as Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice, attends a Senate Judiciary hearing on July 14, 2021.

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / AP

American officials say the scale of Beijing’s efforts is staggering.

Last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau had more than 2,000 cases related to China. It opens a new China-related case every 12 hours.

“No country poses a greater threat to our ideas, innovation, and economic security than China,” Wray said in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Olsen said he agreed with that assessment, and he vowed that the Justice Department would continue to fight Chinese espionage and cyberthreats, just without the China Initiative banner.

“Make no mistake, we will not stop defending our country from China,” he said. “The ministry will continue to prioritize and vigorously oppose the PRC government’s actions that harm our people and institutions.”

However, he also said the department needed to respond to concerns raised by civil rights groups, academics and scientists about what they say are the negative effects of the initiative.

For example, civil rights groups say the department’s efforts are racist against Asian Americans. They also say it has helped fuel a narrative of intolerance and prejudice against Asian Americans at a time when attacks and hate crimes against Asians in the US have increased. leap.

“Anything that creates the impression that the Department of Justice applies different standards based on race or ethnicity, harms the department and our efforts, and it harms the public,” said Olsen. speak. “I believe the Chinese initiative is motivated by genuine national security concerns, but I also note that the department must maintain the trust of those we serve.”

Some have raised concerns about racism

Meanwhile, academics and scientists have expressed similar concerns about racism, and warned of cases of funding fraud being launched under the auspices of the Initiative. ​China. In those prosecutions, the ministry has charged scientists and researchers with failing to disclose ties to China in their grant applications.

“We have heard that these prosecutions – and the public narrative they generate – can lead to a chilling climate for scientists and academics, damaging for scientific enterprises in this country.

Several cases of department funding fraud eventually fell apart, including a recent one against MIT scientist Gang Chen. But prosecutors have also had notable victories, such as the conviction of Harvard University professor Charles Lieber.

Going forward, Olsen said, the department will change its approach to granting fraud cases. He said prosecutors would consider the possibility of taking civil or administrative actions instead of pursuing criminal prosecutions.

“We will work closely with the FBI to assess evidence of the intent and materiality and the connection of these incidents to our national or economic security,” he said. “And those factors will guide our decisions.”

There are a number of prominent funding fraud prosecutions brought under the initiative. When asked if the new approach would be applied retroactively to those cases, Olsen signaled that they would not.

“We are comfortable with those cases and we continue to stand behind them,” he said.

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