The wife of Xiaofeng Wang, a former data privacy professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, expressed on Monday her belief that her family has been unfairly singled out by the U.S. government, describing the situation as “misplaced accusations of academic misconduct.” This statement follows Wang’s dismissal from his tenured position coinciding with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searches of the couple’s residences last month.
Nianli Ma, speaking for the first time since the FBI’s March searches, emphasized her family’s readiness to contest these allegations, asserting that the broader research community could be affected if such claims remain unchallenged. Ma made this announcement during a webinar organized by the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), a nonprofit aimed at advocating for Asian American scholars’ rights and recognition. Ma, who was previously employed as a library analyst at IU, also faced abrupt termination shortly before the FBI conducted their searches, according to reports from The Indiana Daily Student.
During her appearance, Ma expressed bewilderment over the university’s actions, noting the lack of explanation or adherence to due process, particularly concerning her husband. She described experiencing significant stress, including weight loss and sleep issues.
The situation concerning Wang has sparked concerns among academics about the potential revival of the China Initiative under the new Trump administration. Initially launched during Trump’s first term to combat economic espionage, the initiative was criticized for unfairly targeting Chinese-born researchers and Asian-American communities. The Department of Justice had previously discontinued the program under the Biden administration after several cases were lost or dismissed.
Prominent among the cases was that of MIT professor Gang Chen, charged in 2021 under the China Initiative for allegedly omitting ties to Chinese institutions in grant applications. The charges were later dropped when it was determined that such disclosures were not federally mandated. Speaking at the same webinar, Chen remarked on the distressing nature of Ma’s situation and recounted the fear experienced by many under the initiative.
Brian Sun, a member of the AASF legal advisory council, remarked at the webinar that there seems to be “no evidence that Xiaofeng’s case involves any kind of unlawful transfer of technology” linked to the concerns that initiated the China Initiative.
Additionally, New York Representative Grace Meng, delivering a keynote address at the event, expressed concern regarding any moves by the current U.S. presidential administration to reinstate the China Initiative. She argued that the program failed to effectively address national security issues, instead causing a chilling effect on research and innovation and adversely affecting the lives of those wrongfully accused.