In 2018, US authorities launched the China Initiative, targeting American scientists for the so-called suspicious links to China. The initiative went on for 4 years, and most of the targeted scientists have a Chinese origin.

Now, a US government agency that prompted many inquiries under the initiative has admitted that a difficult climate was created. A recent statement by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentioned the unintended consequence for Asian-American researchers who may feel targeted and alienated. The NIH says it is looking to repair relations with Asian researchers, but can a sense of fear and anxiety be easily dissipated?

Host Ding Heng is joined by Tian Xia, Professor of Medicine with University of California Los Angeles; Professor Liu Baocheng, Director of the Center for International Business Ethics, University of International Business and Economics; Josef Mahoney, Professor of Politics and International Relations with East China Normal University.