Applied mathematics professor Mingqing Xiao hopes to be taken off paid administrative leave after serious charges dropped.
Applied mathematics professor Mingqing Xiao hopes to be taken off paid administrative leave after serious charges dropped.

Mathematics professor caught up in “China Initiative” speaks out

September 20, 2022

For the first time, the applied mathematics professor caught up in a “xenophobic” government sweep of Chinese academics is speaking out. Mingqing Xiao was sentenced to one year probation and a fine, with court fees, of about $2,300 on Sept. 19. He released a statement Thursday saying:

“In the past two days since I came back from the court, I have received numerous personal and heartfelt greetings from many colleagues, students, and friends from this wonderful community. I sincerely thank all of you for the support and encouragement you have offered during this difficult time. I would also like to thank the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Association for their support and assistance throughout this legal process. I look forward to being able to serve our students, as well as our community, as I have done for more than two decades.”

Xiao’s friends and colleagues say the emphasis now will be getting Southern Illinois University (SIU) to take him off paid administrative leave.

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“His union attorney, union representative, the SIU Faculty Association, the SIU Faculty Senate, his Math department colleagues and many of us will continue to work to get Ming back in the classroom doing what he does best,” said music professor Ed Benyas.

Xiao was one of dozens of U.S. educators arrested as part of the Justice Department’s “China Initiative,” ostensibly designed to weed out academics who may be selling intellectual property to the Beijing government. Xiao was cleared of all charges related to such activity, but was found guilty on a minor tax charge because he did not check a box indicating he had a foreign bank account.

That account had been set up by a Chinese university to cover Xiao’s expenses during teaching and recruiting visits, which were interrupted by the COVID pandemic. Xiao told investigators he never considered the money his.

“The tax charges that the government added on the eve of a trial that they were not ready for, in an effort to get him to plead guilty, reflected innocent omissions that in the vast majority of cases are resolved in civil court, not with a federal criminal indictment,” Benyas said.

Community members submitted 27 letters of support for Xiao at his sentencing hearing Monday.

“Judge Yandle’s sentence definitely indicates that she recognizes Ming’s outstanding character, his support from the community, and his dedication to his family and his students,” Benyas said.

But, Benyas said, it’s important to remember the government made Xiao a convicted felon.

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“This was undoubtedly a xenophobic and prejudicial prosecution of an upstanding Chinese American citizen who loves his country,” Benyas said. “And the government doubled down in the sentencing phase, asking the judge to send Ming to prison for a year and to pay a fine of over $50,000… This entire ordeal is a travesty of justice.”

There is more work left to be done, he said.

“Let’s also not forget: Ming still has an enormous legal bill to resolve. And he still has to fight to get his job back,” Benyas said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help Xiao cover those legal expenses. It is at just a fraction of its $350,000 goal.

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  • T

    Tony WilliamsOct 4, 2022 at 9:39 am

    Rather than wasting millions of dollars annually on a failing Sports program, that will eventually lead to the long expected declaration of “financial exigency” and the dismissal of many SIUC staff, perhaps higher administration should make a gesture in favor of academic freedom by paying the legal expenses this unfortunate person has faced to fight Government xenophobia?

    This is certainly an issue the Faculty Senate, Graduate Council, and Faculty Union should pursue and raise at the next BOT meeting.

    The response to this by the more economically privileged layer of the SIUC community should be worth noting.

    Reply
  • R

    Rob LucasOct 4, 2022 at 7:27 am

    Prof. Xiao is a good man who got caught up in a conflict between two governments, but it seems like all he ever wanted was to teach his students, serve his family and his university, and give back to his community.

    Part of SIU’s stated mission is to try to improve our community. Allowing this man to return to the work he loves and excels at would certainly help to do that.

    I assume SIU believes in its own mission, so shouldn’t it do a thing that fulfills it?

    Reply
  • J

    Jyotsna KapurOct 1, 2022 at 9:40 pm

    Well done DE. There was almost zero media reporting on the fact that Prof. Xiao was exonerated on ALL charges of selling intellectual property to the Chinese government. Those were false charges and need to be highlighted as part of a pattern of xenophobia that is ultimately disastrous for communities. This is the reason so many of Prof. Xiao’s colleagues support him.

    Reply
  • S

    Shahram RahimiOct 1, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    This was a clear overstepping by the government that affected the life of a Carbondale citizen and his family deeply! I lived in Carbondale for 16 years and my kids were born and raised there as did Ming’s. He has been one of the most caring and giving people I know, who has been serving this community for years! He spent his Saturdays and Sundays working with 100+ kids on different levels of Math, helping some to win state and national competitions year after year, and ALL FOR FREE! Yes, year after year, all his weekends, and for free, serving our community and our kids! Is this person a traitor? Is this person self-centered? Is he after money? The answer is NO! How wrong a government can be. He taught everyone, every color, and every race. Ming should have been given an award for everything he has done for our city, our state, and our country! HE DID NOT DESERVE THIS! Give him his job back!!

    Reply
  • A

    Anthony HamelinSep 22, 2022 at 2:25 am

    In regards to the math professor cleared of the initial criminal federal charges against him. I don’t believe the matter was one of xenophobia. The federal government is an equal opportunity prosecutor, regardless of color, gender, economic status, sexual orientation, birthplace, ECT. Lol. At age 51, comes some life experience and wisdom along the way. I’m an educated man, with both a B.S. and a Master’s from the SIU system. I’m also a liberal, politically and socially. But, my education and liberality stops at the point where it denies common sense and is contrary to the real world! The Chinese Government is a true threat to our nation’s security, & prosperity. They aren’t really communist. They are an Oligarchy with the world largest military in history. They are quietly strategic in how they engage the world and other nations, to gain leverage and control. As their military gains more power, aides by their economic growth, they grow more brazen and beligerent. One day, for the sake of survive an alliance of the world will have to fight the Chinese. No one nation can win a war with them. But, the day of confrontation is coming. And in the mean time, we’d be foolish to think they don’t have individuals in this nation whose loyalty is to China and not America. Quietly undermining our nation by using our own freedoms and system to do it. Being idealistic in college is a luxury college students can have, until you get older and gain some life under your belt and gain some wisdom and see that idealism has a time and place…but it’s not an umbrella for everything.

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    • T

      Tony WilliamsOct 1, 2022 at 10:36 am

      Does your warmongering attitude justify the appalling treatment this person has suffered? He has been found not guilty save on one technicality that is minor. He is in debt due to fighting an unjust process and the University is obligated to return him to his full status. Your attitude strongly evokes that of the McCarthy era where you would be truly at home.

      Reply
      • A

        Anthony L HamelinOct 10, 2022 at 1:20 pm

        Well, Mr Williams, with all due respect..SIU is no obligated to retain anyone. There is no job for life, except a Supreme Court Justice and that The Pope. SIU can terminate anyone for good cause. The investigation and conviction of this professor taints the reputation of the University and while it may be a technical firing, it is legal. He is not entitled to a job. That said, I don’t know where you think I am war mongering? If you think a war isn’t coming with the Chinese down the road, you have no understanding of it’s history, it’s past actions, ongoing actions and our history with China, going back to our proxy war with China in the Korean War. You also underestimate the fact there are nations in the world that seek to do is harm and will if given the chance. Are you willing to take a risk of sacrificing LA, Seattle or Chicago for your naitivy that everyone outside our shores are friendly? And finally…your claim I would be more at home in the McCarthy Era is frankly wrong. I anything but a sycophant of all that what that era did and stood for. Do you even know half of what occurred under the Red Scare? The lives destroyed, the fact our own national pleadge of allegiance was changed to reference God..to counter the so called Godless ” Commies”. That the interstate system began because of The Red Scare, that the Government got in bed with the Mob to go after those who they thought were communist’s. That because of McCarthy and his Red Scare, civil liberties we’re curtailed and we started down the road of the Military-Industrial Complex and turned neighbor on neighbor..and so more. I am not someone who subscribes to that philosophy or politics Sir. But I’m not naive either. There used to be a sign in Woody Hall where the Bursar’s Office used to be. It was list of goals SIU hoped to instill in it’s students. #1 on the list was ‘ Balance’. You have to balance in all aspects of your life as much as possible. That includes politics, world views and living in the real world. Perhaps you may want to examine if you opinion on this matter is balanced?

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        • T

          Tony WilliamsOct 18, 2022 at 9:56 am

          You are certainly missing the whole pojnt of this injustice. The Professor was not terminated for “good cause” but as the result of a scapegoating process initiated by the State Department. As other posters here have noted, he was found not guilty and SIUC lacks the integrity to do the right thing, namely restore him to the post he was removed from so he can continue to benefit the SIUC community.

          As to your perspective of China, what about Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan, the undermining of the One Nation policy which the US agreed to, and the current provocative actions of a country that sees its economic and political rule threatened by a new power? Is the current occupant of the White House looking for a new Pearl Harbor, manufactured or not, to keep his Party in power, and undermine the Opposition? Yes, it is speculation but these are dangerous times.I fear that, like the round-up of Japanese Americans during WW2 into American concentration campus, the same thing may be planned for loyal Chinese American citizens, if things get really bad. Asians have already faced racist attacks in this country. Things are not the simplistic balck and white concept you espouse.

          Yet, the main issue is one of simple justice not power-politics paranoia. The professor was removed from teaching, found not guilty of charges made against him, and should be immediately restored to his former position without being made a scapegoat for the current world situation. Your attitude evokes the appalling logo, “My country, right or wrong” and we know what that led to in the past. Let SIUC live up to its educational mission and restore somebody who has been wronged, and also pay his legal fees. He is entitled to get his jobs back and your new version of “Reds under the bed” is just irrational.

          Reply
      • A

        Anthony L HamelinOct 17, 2022 at 2:43 am

        Mr. Williams. My previously submitted reply to your accusations against me being a war minger and such was not published, despite the fact I did not call you derogatory names as you seem comfortable throwing at me. Apparently the editing staff were too uncomfortable with the hard truths and inconvenient facts I outlined. I will just sum it up in this way. No one is entitled to a job and SIU is not a social service agency. They have a wider objective and wider and greater goals to fulfill for the greater good than one professors situation that, in all honesty, creates real world legal and political risk and financial funding risks to the University down the road. It’s called….risk management.

        Reply
    • S

      Shahram RahimiOct 1, 2022 at 8:56 pm

      This was a clear overstepping by the government that affected the life of a Carbondale citizen and his family deeply! I lived in Carbondale for 16 years and my kids were born and raised there as did Ming’s. He has been one of the most caring and giving people I know, who has been serving this community for years! He spent his Saturdays and Sundays working with 100+ kids on different levels of Math, helping some to win state and national competitions year after year, and ALL FOR FREE! Yes, year after year, all his weekends, and for free, serving our community and our kids! Is this person a traitor? Is this person self-centered? Is he after money? The answer is NO! How wrong a government can be. He taught everyone, every color, and every race. Ming should have been given an award for everything he has done for our city, our state, and our country! HE DID NOT DESERVE THIS! Give him his job back!!

      Reply
    • G

      Geoff NathanOct 3, 2022 at 8:47 am

      While there certainly are Chinese agents at some universities, and the Chinese government is blackmailing some of their students who are here, it has been proven in open court that Professor Xiao was totally innocent, and the minor charge he was convicted of was a sop to the overzealous Justice Department, who didn’t want to be embarrassed by a totally bogus set of charges.
      Said by an Emeritus Professor of Linguistics who has been in many countries around the world, including China several times, and who is well-versed in the security field, as I was Chief Privacy Officer at my last university. Also, former faculty as SIUC.

      Reply
    • C

      C.D.Oct 10, 2022 at 11:18 am

      With all the education and wisdom you claim to have, are you saying it is justified for the government to unfairly prosecute people based on their race, origin, or nationality?

      Based on your logic, was it justified for the government to incarcerate Japanese Americans during World War II?

      Reply
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