Over the past decade, Chinese-American physicist Xiaoxing Xi's life has been through a huge storm. One morning in May 2015, he and his family were sleeping soundly when they were awakened by a sudden knock on the door. The knock was so strong and rapid that it seemed as if the door could be knocked open at any time. In a hurry, Xiaoxing Xi put on only his shorts and ran to open the door.

Outside the door stood a dozen strangers who claimed to be FBI agents, some of whom were even armed. After confirming their identities, they handcuffed Xiaoxing Xi and broke into his home, demanding that his family obey their orders. His wife and two daughters were also forced to walk out of the bedroom and face the strong investigators. The FBI arrested him on suspicion of economic espionage, accusing him of helping China enhance its competitiveness in the field of superconductivity, including charges of wire fraud.

Although the Justice Department dropped the charges against him a few months later, the incident left a deep shadow in the lives of him and his family. Xiaoxing Xi felt as if he was caught up in an uncontrollable political struggle. "I think the wise thing to do is to have nothing to do with China anymore," he said in an interview.

Xi Xiaoxing grew up during China's Cultural Revolution, and recalled the scenes of the Cultural Revolution that came to his mind when he was arrested, and he felt extremely terrified. He said: "I am a scientist and have no experience with the judicial system. I really don't know how long it will take for me to see my family again."

As Sino-US relations continue to deteriorate, many Chinese scientists are facing increasing pressure. Since the Obama administration, major differences have emerged between the United States and China on issues such as the South China Sea, and mutual trust has begun to collapse. Entering the Trump era, the conflict between the two countries in the fields of trade and technology has intensified. In 2018, the US Department of Justice launched the "China Action Plan" to prevent technology transfer and combat economic espionage, and Chinese scientists have become the first target.

During President Biden's term, although bilateral relations remain tense, the Department of Justice admitted in 2022 that the program brought racial bias and decided to terminate the project. However, efforts by the legislature to restore the program have occurred from time to time, making many Chinese scientists still uneasy.

"This election is critical for Chinese scientists," said Yasheng Huang, an economics professor at MIT. The China Action Plan was an administrative measure, but now it is trying to be restored through legislation, which means that if it is passed, it will impose stricter regulations on cooperation with Chinese institutions.

Many scientists believe that the government's concerns about national security are reasonable, but the anti-espionage approach is problematic, causing them to be seen as scapegoats in geopolitical tensions. In Xi Xiaoxing's office, his employment certificate from Peking University still stands, a symbol of his former achievements and collaborations, which are now out of reach due to scrutiny.

In the United States, global collaboration in academia has become increasingly the norm, but now such collaboration faces unprecedented pressure. Xi Xiaoxing once collaborated with Chinese students and research institutions, but now such collaborations are under strict scrutiny, and institutions have to find a balance between open research and national security.

The United States is increasingly concerned about China's economic espionage, and the economic losses are estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. As early as the end of the Obama administration, law enforcement efforts were significantly strengthened. The Trump-era China Initiative has placed hundreds of Chinese scientists under surveillance in the scientific research field, triggering a series of charges and arrests.

Tao Feng, a former associate professor at the University of Kansas, is the first Chinese professor to be prosecuted under the China Initiative. He was investigated for applying for China's "Yangtze River Scholar" program and was eventually charged with ten counts. Although the court eventually ruled him not guilty, the process caused irreparable damage to his career. Tao Feng's wife Peng Hong worked hard during this period to support the family and tried to defend her husband until their names were cleared.

Xi Xiaoxing filed a lawsuit against the government in 2017, questioning the legality of the FBI and requesting compensation. Although the lawsuit was dismissed in 2021, he insisted on appealing, hoping to let more people know the truth of the case and expose the abuse of power by the authorities.

Today, Chinese scientists are walking on thin ice in this increasingly tense environment. Xi Xiaoxing knows that although the chances of winning the lawsuit are slim, he is still willing to fight for his rights. For him, legal transparency and exposure of injustice are far more important than winning the case itself. He hopes that through this fight, he can alert more people to the challenges faced by Asian Americans in the scientific community.