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中美學術界全面脫鈎(三)/ Decoupling Between Chinese and American Academic Circles (Part 3)
文章
前文提到,美國政客為抑制中國科技行業的增長勢頭,不惜使出行政手段斷絕兩國之間的學術交流,慎防技術泄漏。美國司法部實施的「中國行動計劃」便是其中最具爭議性的「獵巫行動」。
「中國行動計劃」是由特朗普政府第一任司法部長塞申斯於2018年11月宣布開展的計劃,旨在找出並起訴所有潛伏在美國境內、與中國有聯繫的「科技間諜」。按照《經濟學人》文章的說法,計劃成效未如人意,約150名華裔學者因該計劃而受到司法部調查,在成功檢控的案例中,被告多是遭控告如欺騙科研經費等情節相對較輕的罪名,而非間諜罪。更多的情况是,司法部由於無法找到足夠的證據去證明嫌疑人有為中國從事任何間諜活動,最後要撤銷檢控並淪為大眾的笑柄。當中,司法部對麻省理工學院陳剛教授的調查行動可說是「中國行動計劃」的著名失敗案例。
陳剛教授是一位於美國取得博士學位的中國機械工程師。《紐約時報》一篇文章指出,FBI於2021年1月指控陳剛在提交科研撥款申請時涉嫌未披露與中國相關的聯繫,因而將他拘捕。後來,麻省理工力挺陳剛,FBI亦未能找到「實錘」證據提出檢控,司法部方才罷休。但是已對陳剛的名譽及工作造成打擊。
陳剛以外,有更多中國學者因遭受這計劃調查而失去工作,甚至被美國政府列入「禁飛名單」,無法透過航空交通前往、途經或飛離美國。
後來,因為計劃成效不彰,美國司法部終於在2022年2月宣布結束長達數年的「中國行動計劃」。
其實,中美雙方能在不同的科技領域形成互補,兩國的學術界若是全面脫鈎,相信對雙方都是有百害而無一利。亞利桑那大學於2020年發表了一份研究報告,由於與中國學者合著的論文不會納入計算,美國在科學及工程領域方面發表的論文數量分別在2014和2018年錄得輕微跌幅,可謂自食其果。因此,我認為中美兩國應本着平等互利的原則,放下成見,盡快恢復雙方學術界的交流合作。
In the previous articles, it was mentioned that American politicians, in an effort to curb the growth of China's technology industry, have used administrative measures to sever academic exchanges between the two countries, in order to prevent technology leaks. One of the most controversial actions implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice is the "China Initiative," which can be considered a "witch hunt" against Chinese scientists.
The China Initiative was announced by former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in November 2018, with the aim of identifying and prosecuting all "technology spies" with connections to China who are operating in the United States. According to The Economist article, the initiative has been less effective than anticipated. Around 150 Chinese-American scholars have been investigated by the Department of Justice under this initiative. In the cases where successful prosecutions have occurred, the defendants have faced relatively minor charges such as fraudulently obtaining research funding, rather than espionage charges. In many cases, the Department of Justice has been unable to find sufficient evidence to prove that the suspects were engaged in any espionage activities for China, resulting in the charges being dropped and becoming a subject of ridicule. One notable failed case of the China Initiative is the investigation against Professor Gang Chen at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Professor Gang Chen is a Chinese mechanical engineer who obtained his doctoral degree in the United States. An article in The New York Times pointed out that the FBI arrested Professor Chen in January 2021, accusing him of failing to disclose his connections to China in his research funding applications. However, MIT supported Professor Chen, and the FBI failed to find substantial evidence for prosecution, leading to the case being dropped by the Department of Justice. Nevertheless, the incident has caused damage to Professor Chen's reputation and career.
Apart from Professor Chen, many other Chinese scholars have lost their jobs and have even been included in the U.S. government's "no-fly list," preventing them from traveling to, transiting through, or leaving the United States by air, due to being investigated under the China Initiative.
Eventually, due to the lack of significant results, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the end of the China Initiative in February 2022, after several years of implementation.
In fact, if Chinese and American academic circles completely decouple, it would be detrimental to both sides, as they can complement each other in different technological fields. A research report published by the University of Arizona in 2020 showed that the number of scientific and engineering papers published by the United States experienced a slight decline between 2014 and 2018 because co-authored papers with Chinese scholars were not included in the calculations. It can be said that this approach has backfired. Therefore, I believe that China and the United States should adhere to the principles of equality and mutual benefit, set aside biases, and quickly restore academic exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.
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