Tianjin University on Thursday denied profiting from the activities of three of its professors whom U.S. authorities suspect of economic espionage and trade secret theft.
The U.S. government charged six Chinese nationals with economic espionage, saying they stole secrets from two U.S. tech companies that could be used in both civilian and military communication systems, for universities and companies controlled by the Chinese government.
"The stolen trade secrets enabled Tianjin University to construct and equip a state-of-the-art thin-film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) fabrication facility," the U.S. Justice Department said. FBAR is a radio frequency technology primarily used in mobile devices.
The school said that they felt indignant about the accusation and reserve to seek legal remedies to preserve its reputation, the China Youth Daily reported, adding that the case involved a technology dispute, but politicizing scientific research and even elevating it to the level of 'economic espionage' will harm normal academic exchanges.
One of the suspects, Zhang Hao, 36, a professor at the university, was arrested on Saturday in Los Angeles. The school said it will closely follow the case's development and provide Zhang with the necessary legal and humanitarian support.
