Purge of Chinese researchers by US new McCarthyism

Editor's note: A number of Chinese American scientists, researchers and engineers have been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since late 2017 on the suspicion of working for China in the United States. Mo Nong, a Beijing-based commentator, comments in a recent post on his WeChat account:

In whatever fields of science and technology these investigations were carried out, they shared one thing in common: There was no reliable evidence confirming the suspicions, which can only be called "groundless discrimination". It largely stems from the rising McCarthyism in the political circle of the US today - Being an ethnic Chinese is enough for those working in key research and development posts to be suspected of stealing US know-how.

Even if these targeted Chinese-Americans are proven innocent at last, the investigations, which is nothing but a kind of political persecution, have already damaged their reputations and disturbed their normal work.