Austin (KXAN) — Monday evening, faculty, graduate and postdoctoral students at the University of Texas at Austin were sent a message from university leaders alerting them that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation will be contacting researchers regarding efforts the Chinese government may have taken to illegally obtain research from American universities. This is “including coronavirus vaccine research.” KXAN obtained copies of this letter, which was written by UT’s Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Dan Jaffe and Interim Vice President for Research Alison R. Preston. University leaders said this is part of a “national situation” that may impact some in UT’s research community. They explained the FBI told UT last week that because of the recently ordered closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston, the bureau will be “contacting UT researchers about the role of the Consulate and efforts by the Chinese government to illegally procure research.”
Recently, Texas Congressman Michael McCaul has alleged that China's Consulate General, which the US has ordered to close, is the epicentre of Beijing's espionage in terms of stealing the bio-medical research. "I can tell you its really the epicentre of China's espionage in terms of stealing our bio-medical research. We had three scientists at M.D Anderson that were fired due to allegations of espionage," McCaul had told Fox News. The Congressman said the Chinese are actively trying to steal the vaccine for COVID-19. "We also have vaccine research going on at the Texas Medical Centre. We know that they are actively trying to steal that vaccine so that they can claim to the world they have saved them from the very virus they are responsible for," said McCaul.(ANI)
Austin (KXAN) — Monday evening, faculty, graduate and postdoctoral students at the University of Texas at Austin were sent a message from university leaders alerting them that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation will be contacting researchers regarding efforts the Chinese government may have taken to illegally obtain research from American universities. This is “including coronavirus vaccine research.”
KXAN obtained copies of this letter, which was written by UT’s Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Dan Jaffe and Interim Vice President for Research Alison R. Preston.
University leaders said this is part of a “national situation” that may impact some in UT’s research community. They explained the FBI told UT last week that because of the recently ordered closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston, the bureau will be “contacting UT researchers about the role of the Consulate and efforts by the Chinese government to illegally procure research.”