China Initiative 2.0? Raids on scientist Wang Xiaofeng revive spectre from first Trump era
Security raids on the homes of a noted Chinese-American cybersecurity researcher have reignited fears of racial profiling in Trump-led America, under what some are calling a de facto '
China Initiative 2.0 '.
Advertisement
According to local media, officers from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security on Friday searched two homes owned by Wang Xiaofeng, a professor at Indiana University Bloomington.
The searches in the cities of Bloomington and Carmel were carried out under a court warrant, but authorities did not disclose the grounds for the operation, a report said, citing an FBI spokeswoman in the Indiana state capital.
The raids have left the Chinese-American scientific community bracing for a return of the politically charged investigations that upended academic collaboration under the first Donald Trump administration.
A Chinese biologist working at the National Institutes of Health – the largest US funding agency for biomedical research – told the Post on condition of anonymity that Wang's case had given
Chinese-origin scientists in the US another reason to feel 'a deeper chill'.
Advertisement
''China Initiative 2.0' has always been a topic of discussion in the US,' the biologist said, referencing a policy launched under Trump in late 2018.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Lutnick says US-China trade talks could spill into a third day
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said trade talks with China – under way in London since Monday – may spill into a third day, and suggested that the two sides are making progress. Advertisement 'We're working on all sorts of trade issues, and I think the talks are going really, really well,' he told reporters gathered outside Lancaster House, the UK government mansion where the talks are taking place. 'We're … spending time and effort and energy. Everybody's got their head down, working closely through it,' he said close to 8pm local time. 'I hope they end this evening, but if need be, we'll be here tomorrow.' The talks are the latest attempt to defuse tensions between the world's two largest economies over a slew of trade and technology issues, which remain at boiling point despite the two sides agreeing to a temporary deal to scale back tariffs on each other's goods last month. 05:05 Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan, troubled US-China trade ties in call breaking stand-off Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan, troubled US-China trade ties in call breaking stand-off The meeting in London comes just days after a phone call between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders agreed to push forward with negotiations aimed at resolving their ongoing economic disputes. Advertisement China's delegation is led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng. Lutnick, US Treasury Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are leading the US side in what was described as 'the first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism'.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump warns protests at Army parade will be met with ‘very big force'
US President Donald Trump warned people on Tuesday against protesting at the weekend military parade in Washington marking the US Army's 250th anniversary. 'For those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force,' Trump told reporters in the White House's Oval Office. Law enforcement agencies are preparing for hundreds of thousands of people to attend Saturday's parade, US Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool said on Monday. McCool said thousands of agents, officers and specialists will be deployed from law enforcement agencies from across the country. The FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department have said there are no credible threats to the event. At least nine permits have been issued for protests on that day, he said. In unscheduled Oval Office remarks, Trump discussed his decision to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles after protests erupted in response to federal immigration raids at workplaces there.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Lutnick says US-China trade talks could spill into a third day
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said trade talks with China, under way in London since Monday, may spill into a third day. Advertisement 'We're working on all sorts of trade issues, and I think the talks are going really, really well,' he told reporters gathered outside Lancaster House, the UK government mansion where the talks are taking place. 'We're … spending time and effort and energy. Everybody's got their head down, working closely through it,' he said close to 8pm local time. 'I hope they end this evening, but if need be, we'll be here tomorrow.' The talks are the latest attempt to defuse tensions between the world's two largest economies over a slew of trade and technology issues, which remain at boiling point despite the two sides agreeing a temporary deal to scale back tariffs on each other's goods last month. The meeting in London comes just days after a phone call between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders agreed to push forward with negotiations aimed at resolving their ongoing economic disputes. Advertisement Lutnick, US Treasury Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also attended what was described as 'the first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism'.
