Last week, a Chinese professor from Tianjin University, Zhang Hao, was accused and arrested by the US for economic espionage. The university soon refuted the charges. Meanwhile, a Chinese-American scholar from Temple University, world-renowned in the field of superconductivity, Xi Xiaoxing, was arrested and charged with stealing secret US defense technology.

There was the case of Sherry Chen, a Chinese-American hydrologist at the National Weather Service in Ohio, who was falsely arrested last October and accused of spying. Her case has been placed under the spotlight of public attention, for the lawsuit ended up costing her everything despite the charges being dropped in March.

Similar incidents in such a short time are making people think about what the Sino-US relationship has gone wrong.

As a country of immigrants, today's mighty US is created by different ethnic groups coming together, in which the Chinese are an organic component and have been making outstanding contributions to the nation's development. However, given the delicate ties between Beijing and Washington at present, and the White House's possible adjustment of its policies toward China, some ethnic Chinese, especially those involved in scientific work that relates to US economic and strategic interests, are likely to fall victim to the change of US policies.

There is no better word than "anxiety" to describe the feeling of the US toward China. Faced with Beijing's rapid growth of development as well as international influence, Washington is becoming increasingly anxious.

The White House used to believe that China could be integrated into the US-dominated international order and become a partner of the US after its reform and opening-up. Yet it is increasingly aware of the reality that China has been getting stronger. Following US assumptions, China has been rising with its own characteristics.

Over the past few years, the gap of national strength between the two countries has been narrowing. The US has also felt the momentum of Chinese diplomacy and mega-projects such as the "One Belt, One Road" initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, of which Washington is not a participant yet.

Beijing has no objection to the US joining the two, but the US does not want to join. The White House is not a fan of China's goal, which is realizing its dream of national rejuvenation and merging into the current international system through internal reforms.

These two targets do not clash with one the other. Nevertheless, the US doesn't think the same way. In the end, Washington began tilting toward hard-line approaches toward China. The recent spying charges remind us of the case of Wen Ho Lee, a Taiwan-born scientist at a US nuclear laboratory, who was held in the US in 1999 for nine months for espionage involving missing nuclear research files.

Li's case was once a significant part of US media and political hype of the "China threat" theory. However, he was later cleared of all but one of 59 charges. The truth is, the remaining one charge was Lee's compromise with the US government, because only in this way, could the US government find a way out, while Lee would no longer suffer behind bars. But in any case, the charge delivered a message that the US sometimes arrests people without solid proof.

As for the most recent charges, Zhang's case might be at most a dispute over intellectual property, while Xi's behavior might be no more than common academic exchanges. Investigation and evidence is needed to show whether they are spies or not. Therefore, the best way to reveal the US' intention is to show the truth. Furthermore, ethnic Chinese in the US should raise their awareness and speak up for their own rights.

If we turn our watches back to the end of the 1940s when the US started to shift its policy toward the then Soviet Union, from being allies to rivals, it also began with arresting suspected spies and playing up possible dangers. Hence, the recent incidents also make people worried over the US' future policy on China.

We hope that Beijing-Washington ties can be stable, and our major-power relationship can be more than just a slogan, but something that bears actual fruit. Since a big gap exists between China's intention and the US version of understanding toward it, both sides need to put more efforts and endeavors toward reducing miscalculation and boosting mutual trust.

The article was compiled by Global Times reporter Li Aixin based on an interview with Li Haidong, a professor with the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University. liaixin@globaltimes.com.cn