Embassy spokesperson: China opposes stigmatizing 'Thousand Talents Plan'

The Chinese side opposes all words and practices that stigmatize the "Thousand Talents Plan", a program designed to recruit talented people from overseas, which is no different from other countries' practices, a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in the United States said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson made the remarks two days after Charles Lieber, the former chair of Harvard University's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, was convicted Tuesday for lying about his relations with China's "Thousand Talent Program".

The following is the full text of the spokesperson's comment.

Q: Recently, American professor Charles Lieber of Harvard University was convicted for lying about his ties with China's "Thousand Talent Program". What is your comment?

A: The purpose of China's "Thousand Talents Plan" is to promote talent mobility between China and other countries and to galvanize international cooperation in scientific and technological innovation. This is no different from other countries' practices in this area. "Thousand Talent Plan" respects scientists, technology and protects intellectual property rights. The Chinese side opposes all words and practices that stigmatize the "Thousand Talents Plan", supports and champions the global mobility of scientific knowledge and talent.

Some media have described Lieber's ruling as a victory for the US government's China Initiative. It's totally wrong and seriously misleading to the public. The US government claims that the China Initiative is aimed at the so-called economic espionage. However, based on the Department of Justice's press release, Lieber was convicted of false statements and tax-related issues, with nothing to do with economic espionage.

We have noted that the justice departments' repression of scientists and damage to normal China-US scientific and technological exchange in the name of combating economic espionage has already evoked doubts among visionary people in the US. We urge the US to listen to the call for justice from within, stop this wrong practice, and meet with China halfway to jointly maintain and promote normal scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.