Comment by dirtyid | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dirtyid | Hacker News Reader

That's... a very forthcoming spy.

For additional context: this is part of US DoJ Initiative to target Chinese Nationals for economic espionage. Meng / Huawei was extradited under initiative scoped only for Chinese Nationals. Corporations typically pay fines for sanction busting, but Chinese executives are (now) targeted for extradition for similar crime. Related, few months ago, DoJ also lumped RICO charges against Huawei. Typically reserved for individuals not entire corporate entities. Basically US DoJ is using every tool in the box to disproportionately prosecute Chinese actors. Reflected in analysis that individuals swept up under this initiative receive greater sentencing than norm. Good recent talk on the subject:

Margaret Lewis | The U.S. Department of Justice's China Initiative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9I2TZzcv8g

This guy could be spilling beans for lighter sentencing. But also likely a defection to drum up support for the narrative. His confessions like "level 9 technician" that works for university lab is eerily close to "anecdotes" I've proponents of the initiate echo over the last few years. It almost feels like a manufactured consent soundbite, eerily repeating heads for someone following the subject. My understanding is there's moderate pushing back at how uncomfortably red-scare and racial coldwar 2.0 policies under this admin's China-hawks has been. Ultimately it may be counterproductive... but election coming up, so time to build that hard on China narrative.

Are you saying that the two countries are not enemies?

Well the spectrum is between enemy and competitor. Hawks are arguing former, doves and moderators the latter. Policies and tolerance towards costs will differ depending on position i.e. there's room for cooperation on some issues if not viewed purely as enemy. Partner is definitely off the table though.

There is always some room for cooperation, even in the middle of a cold or s hot war, but it’s easier if sn enemy is defined as such.

I'd guess he admitted what the govt already knew after they showed him the proof they knew it.

For what it's worth, Chinese foreign ministry denies his military affiliation. Official claim is that he's just doctor studying broad. I'm only stating this this possibility because it's atypical for China to issue flat denials in these circumstances and the records under the China initiative has share of overzealous prosecution. It's possible DoJ broadened the definition to what constitutes as PLA affiliation. Labeling tech researchers as PLA personnel is the same spin used to accuse Huawei's founder of PLA affiliation during the Huawei campaign, despite him never holding military rank. Maybe not so much as showing proof as redefining proof. Just seems odd a spy would cooperate this completely VS an academic who thought their actions acceptable a month before suddenly becoming not. Senior Chinese academics doing research in West while running labs in China was acceptable / grayzone practice that just shifted into high risk behaviour.

This arrest happened in context of June 1st proclamation to crack down on Chinese researchers [1]. The timing of arrests with respect to new policy proclamations is important especially with respect to geopolitical signalling i.e. Meng extradited month after DoJ extradition initiative. There's a lot of norms recently being upended for Chinese academics with particular focus on affiliations to Chinese military institutions - hence why he's not being charged for crime related to transfer of research (and I surmise, won't be) - the entire replicating layout and research stuff might be nominally above board, but the DoJ just wanted to nail and Chinese academic ASAP to signal to China arrangements that were nominally acceptable before are now subject to prosecution. "Killing the Chickens, to Scare the Monkeys". Otherwise I feel like they would choose a much clear cut case. So far it feels like more geopolitics and elections posturing.

[1] https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article...

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