The U.S. Justice Department has ended the China Initiative, launched under President Donald Trump to thwart China's theft of intellectual property and spying.
NPR reports that the decision to end the program followed was ordered by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olson after a review that lasted months.
"While I remain focused on the evolving, significant threat that the government of China poses, I have concluded that this initiative is not the right approach," Olsen said in a speech Wednesday at George Mason University, NPR reported.
Instead of this specific initiative, the agency will be implementing a more broad strategy called Strategy for Countering Nation-State Threats, Fox News reported.
"Our goal with this strategy is to take a comprehensive approach that draws on the full extent of our tools and authorities to address the alarming rise in illegal activity from hostile nations," Olsen said, Fox reported. "This includes growing threats within the United States and to Americans and U.S. businesses abroad."
The threats include Russia, Iran and North Korea, according to the agency, NPR reported.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau has more than 2,000 cases as of January 2022 relating to this initiative, the story said.
"There is just no country that presents a broader threat to our ideas, our innovation, and our economic security than China," Wray said in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, NPR said.
Olsen also issued a strong statement on the China threat, according to NPR.
"Make no mistake, we will be relentless in defending our country from China," Olsen said. "The department will continue to prioritize and aggressively counter the actions of the PRC government that harm our people and our institutions."
Concerns have been levied about racial profiling of academics and scientists as a result of the China Initiative, NPR said.
"Anything that creates the impression that the Department of Justice applies different standards based on race or ethnicity, harms the department and our efforts, and it harms the public," Olsen said, as reported by NPR. "I do believe that the China initiative was driven by genuine national security concerns, but I am also mindful that the department must maintain the trust of the people whom we serve."
