Tianjin University has denied involvement in a case of alleged economic espionage, for which three of its professors have been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The three were among six Chinese citizens accused of stealing mobile technology from two U.S. chipmakers and providing it to a Chinese company.
However Tianjin University said on Thursday that it “angrily rejected” any suggestion that it was involved in the case, which was revealed this week following the arrest of one of the academics, 36-year-old Zhang Hao, when he arrived in the U.S. to attend a conference.
According to the China Youth Daily, it said the U.S. indictment, and media reports, had implied that the university had been involved in inappropriate activities, and the institute reserved the right to take legal steps to protect itself against any “unprovoked accusations.”
The university also said that the U.S. was “politicizing” its professors’ scientific research, which it said was conducted openly, in what it described as a “technical dispute.” And it said it would provide necessary humanitarian and legal assistance to Zhang, who is currently in detention in California.
The U.S. indictment alleges that the academics stole trade secrets from two U.S. chipmakers, Skyworks Solutions, where Zhang once worked, and Avago Technologies, where one of the other professors worked, and provided them to a Chinese firm with links to both the university and the government.
The technology involved is used in mobile phones and tablet computers, but can also be applied in the field of military communications.
