A Chinese professor facing espionage charges in the U.S. said he is under great pressure and the accusation reflects a pervasive bias by the U.S. government against Chinese scholars and engineers, in an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Monday.
"I am under great pressure and what I wish now is to resume teaching and scientific research as soon as possible after I am cleared," said Zhang Hao, a 36-year-old professor at the School of Precision Instruments and Opto-electronics Engineering of Tianjin University and a former engineer at Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions.
Six Chinese nationals, including Zhang and two other professors at Tianjin University, were charged by the U.S. government with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets.
The U.S. government said they stole secrets from two U.S. companies that develop technology that could be used in both civilian and military communication systems.
China's foreign ministry expressed strong concerns about the accusations in a press briefing in May.
Shocked at the accusations, Zhang said that "it is by no means acceptable that the U.S. government accused us, since it is rightful to capitalize our own research results."
Zhang was arrested upon his arrival in the U.S. on May 16, and U.S. Judge Nathanael Cousins in San Jose, California set bail for Zhang at $500,000 on July 8, on the condition that Zhang will not be deported until his case is completed, Reuters reported in July.
A court hearing has been set for December 14, Zhang told the Global Times.
Such litigation in the U.S. is always time-consuming and the timetable is unpredictable, added Zhang, saying he has no idea when he can return to China.
Chinese scholars and engineers who study or work in the U.S. have suffered from discrimination, with the U.S. government suspecting them of stealing technologies, which is ridiculous, said Zhang.
The U.S. Justice Department dropped charges against Xi Xiaoxing in September, a Temple University physics professor and expert in the field of superconductivity. Xi had been accused of sharing sensitive technology with China.
Their priority is to defend ourselves through the legal process, added Zhang.
Zhang has been meeting with his lawyer once a week after the court granted Zhang's motion to allow him to step out of his home. But Zhang still needs to wear a monitor.
