Amid worsening ties between the US and China, the University of Texas, whose work has contributed to some promising candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine, has been contacted by the FBI on allegations that the Chinese consulate in Houston had attempted to obtain such an investigation, the South China Morning Post reported.
The United States recently ordered China to close its Consulate General in Houston on espionage charges. China retaliated by ordering the United States to close its Consulate General in Chengdu.
The University of Texas, according to the report, told faculty and investigative staff in an email Monday that the FBI notified them of the investigation last week.
FBI agents would contact university investigators about the consulate's alleged role and "the Chinese government's efforts to illegally obtain investigations from American universities, including the investigation of the coronavirus vaccine," according to the email, cited by South China Morning Post.
"We want to inform you of an ongoing and evolving national situation that may affect some members of our research community," reads the email.
The United States Department of State had ordered China last week to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, on charges that it had been involved for years in massive operations of illegal espionage and influence in the United States.
The two countries have faced a number of issues in recent times: China's move to enforce the national security law in Hong Kong, its violation of human rights in Xinjiang, and territorial aggression in the South China Sea. , have received strong criticism. from Washington
Recently, Texas Congressman Michael McCaul alleged that the Chinese Consulate General, which the United States ordered to close, is the epicenter of Beijing espionage in terms of theft of biomedical research.
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