Nianli Ma, the wife of Xiaofeng Wang, a data privacy professor who was dismissed from his tenured position at Indiana University, Bloomington (IU) on the same day that their homes were searched by the FBI, stated on Monday that she believes her family is unfairly targeted by the U.S. government. She described the situation as “misplaced accusations of academic misconduct.”
Ma expressed her family’s determination to challenge the allegations, emphasizing the broader impact such claims could have on the research community. This marks Ma’s first public commentary since the FBI searches occurred in late March. She spoke at a webinar organized by the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), a nonprofit advocating for Asian American scholars’ rights and recognition. Prior to the searches, Ma, who worked as a library analyst at IU, was also terminated from her position, according to the Indiana Daily Student.
Ma voiced her disbelief at the university’s actions, citing their long-term dedication to the institution and the lack of due process or explanation, particularly concerning her husband. She revealed her distress, mentioning weight loss and sleep difficulties due to constant worry and sadness.
Wang’s situation has raised academic concerns about a potential revival of the China Initiative, a defunct Department of Justice program once criticized for unfairly targeting Chinese-born researchers and other Asian-immigrant and Asian-American academic communities. Initiated during President Trump’s tenure to combat economic espionage, the initiative was discontinued under the Biden administration after several cases were lost or withdrawn.
MIT professor Gang Chen, previously charged under this initiative, also spoke at the webinar. The charges against Chen were dropped when it was found federal disclosures were not required. Chen expressed empathy for Ma, recalling the fear his family felt under the China Initiative and questioning if it is being reinstated.
Brian Sun, a member of the AASF legal advisory council, noted during the webinar that there appears to be no evidence linking Wang’s case to unlawful technology transfers or concerns that instigated the China Initiative.
U.S. Representative Grace Meng of New York, who delivered the keynote speech, expressed concerns about potential efforts by the current U.S. presidential administration to reinstate the China Initiative. She argued that it failed to address national security issues meaningfully and instead negatively impacted research and scientific innovation while damaging the lives and reputations of those falsely accused.
