New York, NY (September 10, 2021) — The following statement was issued today by Zheng Yu Huang, President of Committee of 100, regarding the acquittal of Dr. Anming Hu, a naturalized Canadian citizen. The Justice Department had accused Dr. Hu of being a spy for the Chinese military under the “China Initiative.”
The FBI had surveilled Dr. Hu and his family for nearly two years, and later implied, without proof, that Dr. Hu had ties to the Chinese military. A specialist in nanotechnology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Dr. Hu was instead charged with fraud for allegedly concealing part-time work for Beijing University of Technology, work that the University of Tennessee testified that it knew of.
Dr. Hu was acquitted of all charges against him, including three counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements. U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan wrote in the decision “there was no evidence presented that defendant ever collaborated with a Chinese university in conducting his NASA-funded research, or used facilities, equipment, or funds from a Chinese university in the course of such research.”
“For more than 30 years, Committee of 100 has reiterated our support for the protection of our national security balanced with a commitment to civil liberties,” said Zheng Yu Huang, President of Committee of 100. “America is harmed, not helped, when innocent citizens are falsely accused of wrongdoing without adequate supporting evidence. Even when acquitted, many lose their livelihoods, careers, and health. Our sympathies go to Dr. Hu and his family as they work to rebuild their lives.”
On September 21 at 11:00am Eastern, Committee of 100 will host an event “Racial Disparities in Economic Espionage Act Prosecutions: A Window into the New Red Scare.” Leading experts from the legal, higher education, civil liberties, and public policy arenas will discuss findings from new research that sheds light on significant racial disparities in the implementation of Economic Espionage Act (EEA) of 1996 and under the China Initiative. Data from the research is drawn from nearly 300 defendants across nearly 200 separate cases.
The event will be hosted and moderated by Committee of 100 and will consist of the first public unveiling of research jointly led by Committee of 100 and Andrew Chongseh Kim. The event is open to the public and those interested in attending can RSVP here.
About Committee of 100
Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For over 30 years, Committee of 100 has served as a preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. Visit https://www.committee100.org/ or follow Committee of 100 on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for more information.
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