A subcommittee of the US House of Representatives has proposed reviving the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) China Initiative, a counterintelligence program aimed at curbing economic espionage and intellectual property theft linked to China.
The proposal, embedded in the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill, aims to counter China’s alleged influence in American research, academia, and industry.
According to the bill summary, the China Initiative would be reinstated to “counter China and maintain America’s competitive edge.”
On July 23, a coalition of Chinese scholars and advocacy groups issued a letter to Congress condemning the initiative’s proposed return. They said the original program had promoted racial profiling against Asian American scholars and scientists.
“The China Initiative created a chilling effect for Asian American scholars and scientists for fear of prosecution, deterring them from engaging in normal activities such as applying for federal grants, conducting research, or even traveling with family,” the letter stated.
The letter was published on the website of the Asian American Scholar Forum, which advocates for academic belonging and equity in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
It cited the now-dismissed case against MIT professor Gang Chen, who was arrested in 2021 under the China Initiative and later exonerated.
“As a victim of the past China Initiative, I am disheartened by ongoing efforts in Congress to reinstate the misguided programme,” Chen said. “It is not only discriminatory, but also harms America’s ability to attract top global talent – ultimately weakening, not strengthening, our national security.”
He said he and his family went through a living hell for 371 days due to the investigations. He warned that reinstating the initiative would send a dangerous message to the Chinese academic community.
In a report published by The Guardian on April 16, Chen commented on the recent FBI raid on the home of Indiana University professor Xiaofeng Wang.
“What is particularly troubling in this case is that Indiana University fired him and his wife without due process, presuming guilt instead of innocence,” he said. “The investigations create huge fear among researchers of Chinese descent, especially students and postdoctorates from China.”
He said that, though never formally charged, Wang was abruptly terminated following an FBI raid on his home. Wang’s wife, Ma Nianli, also lost her job at the same university.
The couple said they were disappointed as they were treated like criminals after having trusted and contributed to the US for years.
‘National security threats’
The China Initiative, first launched by the DOJ in 2018, sought to prosecute espionage and theft cases involving US-based Chinese researchers.
It led to over 1,000 investigations. At least 250 Chinese-American academics lost their positions, with many more facing investigations that disrupted careers and caused lasting damage.
A 2021 study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that 89% of respondents would like to contribute to the US leadership in science and technology, but 72% feel unsafe in the US, and 61% feel pressure to leave the country.
The China Initiative was terminated in 2022 amid rising concerns of racial bias and its general ineffectiveness.
Recent incidents have reignited debate. In July 2025, Chenguang Gong, a dual US-China citizen and engineer, pleaded guilty to stealing over 3,600 proprietary military technology files. Gong had previously submitted proposals to China’s state-run talent programs. He now faces up to 10 years in US prison.
In June 2025, two Chinese scientists, Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han, were detained for allegedly smuggling unpermitted biological materials into the US. While experts stated the materials were not dangerous, the case added fuel to the debate over academic transparency and regulation.
“The Trump administration is reviving an evil plan aimed at Chinese nationals, Chinese Americans, and Chinese students,” Hubei-based columnist Jun Qing writes in a recent article. “This is a political plan, designed to spread fear under the guise of national security.”
“This incident reveals an inconvenient truth: America’s long-claimed commitment to academic freedom simply does not hold up,” he says. “China must accelerate the improvement of domestic higher education and foster a genuinely open academic environment to welcome both our scientists and visiting scholars from abroad.”
Economic espionage
Last September, the House of Representatives passed the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act with support from 237 members, mostly Republicans.
Although the bill failed in the Democrat-controlled Senate and was opposed by the Biden administration, the landscape shifted when the Trump administration returned to the White House in January 2025 and regained control of both the House and Senate.
On February 21, US Senator Rick Scott announced the reintroduction of his Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act, which aims to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from spying on US intellectual property and academic institutions.
“The CCP is one of the greatest threats to America’s national security and way of life as it seeks global domination by any means necessary,” Scott said.
“President Joe Biden recklessly ended the China Initiative that President Trump established during his first term, turning a blind eye as Communist China committed at least 60 known cases of espionage on the US and our citizens during his administration.”
Meanwhile, Chinese media and commentators criticized the US for how the investigations were launched.
A commentary published by China Central Television in October 2024 alleged that the DOJ’s efforts, particularly during the China Initiative, included “entrapment tactics” and unwarranted raids.
The report stated that 103 researchers saw their careers derailed, and at least 246 individuals across 87 US research institutions were flagged due to minor administrative infractions or misunderstandings regarding funding disclosures.
It stated that Chinese materials science expert Hongjin Tan joined Phillips 66, an American petroleum refining company, in June 2017, but was accused of downloading hundreds of pages of confidential documents related to the company’s $1 billion new battery technology in December 2018.
It said Tan admitted that he had mistakenly downloaded one document to his personal computer, but Western media then exaggerated his case as a Chinese economic espionage.
Li Fangwei and Zhou Cheng, academics at Peking University, recommended that China undergo structural reforms to the national talent strategy by:
Establishing a national talent risk response task force
Offering legal and financial support for returnees
Enhancing compliance awareness among overseas scholars
Creating transparent international academic cooperation policies
Deepening ties with ASEAN, Belt and Road, and East Asian nations
Integrating Chinese scientists into global standard-setting bodies
Due to enhanced security checks, the number of Chinese students in the US has declined in recent years, falling to 277,398 in the 2023/24 academic year from 289,526 in 2022/23. The 2023/24 figure was 26% down from the peak of 373,532 in 2019/20.
However, some observers expected the US to continue to attract a substantial cohort of students and scholars from China.
They pointed out that US-based engineers can earn significantly more ($98,000–$180,000 per year) than those who work in China ($23,000–$43,000 per year). The US also offers superior laboratory infrastructure and research opportunities.
Read: Gree Electric boss chided for calling overseas grads spy suspects
