ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
The Big Story

US spying fears spread to academia as tech rivalry with China sharpens

Scientists warn of racial profiling and threats to academic freedom

ALEX FANG, Nikkei staff writer | China

NEW YORK -- As science and technology emerges as a front line of U.S.-China rivalry, America's war on suspected Chinese espionage is rippling through the once-placid waters of academia.

In May, Emory University fired a husband-and-wife duo of neuroscientists, Li Xiaojiang and Li Shihua, for allegedly failing to disclose grants from Chinese institutions. The investigation into the pair -- both naturalized American citizens -- was prompted by a letter from the National Institutes of Health, warning research institutions of "foreign influence" at NIH-funded research labs. Similar firings also happened at MD Anderson Cancer Center, a prominent cancer hospital in Houston which receives NIH funding.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more