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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Nasa reverses conference's ban on Chinese scientists | Nasa reverses conference's ban on Chinese scientists |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The US space agency has said it will allow Chinese scientists to attend an astronomy conference in California next month, reversing an earlier ban. | The US space agency has said it will allow Chinese scientists to attend an astronomy conference in California next month, reversing an earlier ban. |
| Nasa put the earlier ban down to a misinterpretation of its policy on foreign nationals. | Nasa put the earlier ban down to a misinterpretation of its policy on foreign nationals. |
| Chinese officials had called the rejection of Chinese scientists' applications an form of discrimination. | Chinese officials had called the rejection of Chinese scientists' applications an form of discrimination. |
| The event for scientists who research planets beyond the solar system will be held at Ames Research Center. | The event for scientists who research planets beyond the solar system will be held at Ames Research Center. |
| The bar on Chinese scientists, revealed earlier this month, was prompted by new counter-espionage legislation restricting foreign nationals' access to Nasa facilities, Nasa spokesman Allard Beutel told the BBC. | The bar on Chinese scientists, revealed earlier this month, was prompted by new counter-espionage legislation restricting foreign nationals' access to Nasa facilities, Nasa spokesman Allard Beutel told the BBC. |
| The conference will be attended by US and international researchers who work on Nasa's Kepler space telescope programme. | The conference will be attended by US and international researchers who work on Nasa's Kepler space telescope programme. |
| 'Misinterpretation' | 'Misinterpretation' |
| The agency faced criticism from Chinese officials and US scientists who claimed Chinese students and researchers in their labs were being subjected to discrimination. | The agency faced criticism from Chinese officials and US scientists who claimed Chinese students and researchers in their labs were being subjected to discrimination. |
| In recent weeks, a growing number of US scientists decided to boycott the meeting in protest, with senior researchers withdrawing individually or pulling out their entire research groups. | In recent weeks, a growing number of US scientists decided to boycott the meeting in protest, with senior researchers withdrawing individually or pulling out their entire research groups. |
| "The initial decision was based on a misinterpretation of the agency's policy regarding foreign nationals," Mr Beutel said. | "The initial decision was based on a misinterpretation of the agency's policy regarding foreign nationals," Mr Beutel said. |
| "We were able to clarify that interpretation and correct the decision, but it didn't happen until the federal government reopened last Thursday." | "We were able to clarify that interpretation and correct the decision, but it didn't happen until the federal government reopened last Thursday." |
| Earlier this month the US government partially shut down operations for 16 days, putting hundreds of thousands of federal employees on leave. | |
| The counter-espionage legislation passed in March was part of a broad and aggressive move initiated by Congressman Frank Wolf, Republican chairman of the House of Representatives subcommittee that has jurisdiction over Nasa's budget. | The counter-espionage legislation passed in March was part of a broad and aggressive move initiated by Congressman Frank Wolf, Republican chairman of the House of Representatives subcommittee that has jurisdiction over Nasa's budget. |
| Mr Wolf later called Nasa's reading of the legislation "inaccurate" and sought to clarify the original intent of the law. | Mr Wolf later called Nasa's reading of the legislation "inaccurate" and sought to clarify the original intent of the law. |
| "The congressional provision - which has been in place since early 2011 - primarily restricts bilateral, not multilateral, meetings and activities with the Communist Chinese government or Chinese-owned companies," Mr Wolf wrote in an 8 October letter to Nasa Administrator Charles Bolden. | "The congressional provision - which has been in place since early 2011 - primarily restricts bilateral, not multilateral, meetings and activities with the Communist Chinese government or Chinese-owned companies," Mr Wolf wrote in an 8 October letter to Nasa Administrator Charles Bolden. |
| "It places no restrictions on activities involving individual Chinese nationals unless those nationals are acting as official representatives of the Chinese government," he wrote. | "It places no restrictions on activities involving individual Chinese nationals unless those nationals are acting as official representatives of the Chinese government," he wrote. |