China criticizes NASA over discrimination at science conference
Beijing on
Wednesday criticised the US space agency NASA for what it termed
“discriminative action” over a decision to exclude Chinese from a forthcoming
science conference in the United States. The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration has announced that Chinese nationals will not be permitted to
enter the Second Kepler Science Conference on exoplanets at California’s Ames
Research Center in November. In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman
Hua Chunying said she was aware of reports on NASA’s decision. “At the same time
I have also noticed that the discriminative action by NASA has also met
opposition” in the United States, she added.
The restriction
is based on a law passed in 2011 and signed by President Barack Obama that
prevents NASA funds from being used to collaborate with China or to host
Chinese visitors at US space agency facilities. The law bans NASA funds from
being used to work “bilaterally in any way with China or any Chinese-owned
company” or being “used to effectuate the hosting of official Chinese visitors
at facilities belonging to or utilised by NASA,” according to a copy of the
legal text sent to AFP by Wolf’s office.
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