On March 8, 2022, APA Justice sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, calling for the release of a report on the Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) review of the “China Initiative.”  In the letter, we express our support for his announcement ending the “China Initiative” on February 23, 2022, and our appreciation for his openness and willingness to engage, listen, and respond to community concerns.  Ending the “China Initiative” is a promising start to correct the harms caused by the initiative, apply lessons learned, and rebuild community trust and confidence that were lost in our law enforcement and judicial system.  For transparency and to ensure an accurate understanding of the changes, we request the public release of a report memorializing the findings of his review of the program that began in November 2021.  

Release of a report on the findings of the review is critically important to ease the broad concerns that the end of “China Initiative” is just in name but does not reflect a change in fact and substance.  It will supplement Mr. Olsen's speech for the communities to move forward.  It is common for the government to produce a written report to memorialize an important review such as that done for the “China Initiative.”  It usually includes the defined scope, issues examined, process and methodology used, findings, recommended changes, decisions, and plans for implementation.  Such a report would help to clarify, for example, the following questions:​​

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1. What was the scope of the “China Initiative” review?  

2. What is the new supervising role for the National Security Division?  

3. Will DOJ-wide implicit bias training be restarted?

4. How thorough were existing prosecutions and investigations reviewed? 

5. Did the review cover allegations of DOJ and FBI misconduct?

Harms and wounds inflicted during and prior to the "China Initiative" are deep and wide spread in the Asian American and scientific communities, especially for academics of Chinese descent.  It is imperative to start the process of healing and restoration of trust in the law enforcement and judicial system with transparency, accountability, and community engagement in moving forward.