US House China Initiative Revival Scrapped Following Racial Profiling Backlash
US lawmakers have scrapped the bid to revive the China Initiative in the FY 2026 bill. The decision follows concerns over racial profiling and damage to US research.
National security was the goal, but academic freedom became the casualty. US House lawmakers on Thursday, January 8, 2026, officially removed a provision intended to restart the controversial China Initiative. The move follows months of intense pushback from the scientific community and civil rights groups who argued the program unfairly targeted researchers of Chinese descent.
US House China Initiative Revival Scrapped After Backlash
The proposal, originally tucked into the FY 2026 appropriations bill, sought to re-establish the Justice Department program to counter foreign espionage. However, advocacy groups like the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) claimed such efforts "undermine trust and harm American research," according to reports from the SCMP.
Impact on Global Research Talent
Critics don't believe the program effectively stopped espionage; instead, it fueled a 'chilling effect' that drove top talent away from the United States. John Yang, president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, noted that anti-Asian hate remains at historic highs, and stopping this provision prevents further unfair targeting of immigrant scientists.
The removal of this language is an important affirmation that national security policies must be rooted in evidence, fairness and respect for American values.
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