A warning from the FBI that Chinese spies may be embedded in American Universities is being blasted by Rep Ted Lieu (D-CA) and the community group, the Committee of 100.
The NY Daily News reported FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate intelligence committee that adademia is rife area for intelligence “collectors.”
“It’s not just in major cities; it’s in small ones, as well. It’s across basically every discipline. And I think the level of naiveté on the part of the academic sector about this creates its own issues,” Wray said.
The Committee of 100, a group of prominent Chinese American leaders in business, government, the arts and academia said it “finds these comments to be disturbing and prejudicial. To target a whole group of people as being subject to greater suspicion, based purely on race and national origin, and in advance of any facts or evidence, goes against the fundamental American ideals of the presumption of innocence, due process and equal protection for all. It also fans the flames of hysteria.”
Lieu, in a statement, called Wray’s comments overbroad.
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“Tarring Chinese foreign national students en masse as being more suspicious is overbroad and will also feed into the false and harmful narrative that somehow Chinese Americans are more suspicious,” said Lieu. “I called on FBI Director Wray to clarify his comments and make a strong statement that Chinese Americans are not viewed by the FBI as any more suspicious than any other American.”
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