Academic lifts the lid on US biased probes

Professor tells how prosecutors twisted facts in so-called China Initiative case

Gang Chen, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who was prosecuted under the so-called China Initiative, has accused the FBI and prosecutors of misconduct and is demanding an apology.

The Chinese-born mechanical engineer and nanotechnologist was arrested in January 2021 on charges of failing to disclose contracts, appointments and awards from various entities in China to the US Energy Department. Last month, the Justice Department dropped all charges against him after realizing that it "can no longer meet its burden of proof at trial".

Chen said he considered himself "lucky", "because I'm painfully aware there are still so many people under investigation and unfairly prosecuted". He shared his experience fighting for his innocence at a recent webinar hosted by the Asian American Scholar Forum.