ASAM NEWS
Three Asian scientists have been kicked out from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston over concerns of ties to China, reports the Houston Chronicle.
The center took action after being warned by the National Institutes of Health. The three are accused of having conflicts of interest and unreported foreign income. Their ouster is part of growing concerns from private industry and U.S. security officials that the Chinese Americans are trying to steal U.S. scientific research. The names of the scientists have not been released.
“Scientific research depends on the free flow of ideas,” Frank H. Wu, president of the Committee of 100, a group of influential Chinese Americans. said to the Chronicle. “Our national interest is best advanced by welcoming people, not by racial stereotyping based on where a person comes from.”
According to the Tech Times, the three scientists are reportedly Chinese. Two resigned before they could be dismissed and the third is challenging the firing. Of two other scientists also investigated, one has been cleared while the other still faces scrutiny.
The center took action after being warned by the National Institutes of Health. The three are accused of having conflicts of interest and unreported foreign income. Their ouster is part of growing concerns from private industry and U.S. security officials that the Chinese Americans are trying to steal U.S. scientific research. The names of the scientists have not been released.
A 2017 FBI report found that intellectual-property theft by China costs the U.S. as much as $600 billion annually. FBI Director Christopher Wray has called China “the broadest, most significant” threat to the nation and that its espionage is active in all 50 states.
The actions taken by the cancer center has led to concerns from the Chinese American community of racial profiling.“Scientific research depends on the free flow of ideas,” Frank H. Wu, president of the Committee of 100, a group of influential Chinese Americans. said to the Chronicle. “Our national interest is best advanced by welcoming people, not by racial stereotyping based on where a person comes from.”
According to the Tech Times, the three scientists are reportedly Chinese. Two resigned before they could be dismissed and the third is challenging the firing. Of two other scientists also investigated, one has been cleared while the other still faces scrutiny.
Sources told the Chronicle involved more than the scientists who left. In the last several months about 20 employees have left for various reasons. The former employees said that they left because of the toxic work environment caused by racial profiling.
View From the Edge contributed to this report.
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