“Universities contribute enormously to the strength and success of the United States. They educate the knowledgeable workforce that powers our economy and they support innovative research that improves the quality of our lives, and allows us to compete in an international arena successfully,” said AASF Fellow Professor Kivelson. “In turn, the preeminence of US universities rests on our ability to attract the most talented and ambitious people from all over the world. The China Initiative – and similar policies – serve as serious obstacles to recruiting outstanding students, scientists, and scholars to US science and technology enterprises; they risk causing more serious harm to the US economy and national security than the loss due to any of the IP theft that a resurrected China Initiative might be hoped to prevent.”

“Been there, done that; data shows that reinstatement of the China Initiative will cause more harm to U.S. scientific and technological leadership than any benefits such action would bring,” said AASF Fellow Professor Michelson. “Our country is strongest when we welcome talent from around the world, including from China.”

“As a victim of the past China Initiative, I am disheartened by ongoing efforts in Congress to reinstate the misguided program. It is not only discriminatory but also harms America’s ability to attract top global talent — ultimately weakening, not strengthening, our national security,” said Professor Gang Chen, Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering and Director of the Pappalardo Micro and Nano Engineering Laboratories at MIT. Chen knows firsthand the negative impact of the China Initiative.

“The Asian American Scholar Forum stands with the faculty at Stanford University and nationwide. Reinstating the China Initiative would be a grave mistake, not only from a civil rights perspective, but also for America’s future as a global leader in science and technology,” said Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director of the Asian American Scholar Forum. “Our research shows that policies like this drive away critical talent who would otherwise contribute to breakthroughs that benefit every American. If we continue to treat scientists as threats instead of partners, we will lose the very people who power our progress. The contributions of scholars, researchers, and scientists are integral to national security and the economic advantages associated with U.S. leadership. The Asian American Scholar Forum is committed to ensuring that all scholars are treated with dignity and the respect they deserve. Our previous efforts to prevent the return of the China Initiative and educate on its harms have succeeded, and we join our Fellows, members, and the broader community in rejecting the effort again. We thank the supporters for yet again leading the call against this harmful Initiative.”