Recently the IEEE decided that Chinese boffins were not allowed access to scientific papers because they were a “security threat” even if a real spook will still be able to collect a copy of IEEE papers from their friendly source without any difficulty.

Now the Beijing-based technology research group the China Computer Federation (CCF) is suspending dealings with the publications division of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The US press is tutting about how the conflict between the two organisations highlights how trade restrictions imposed on Huawei are reverberating in the broader scientific community. But it is more about how the US is rrying to destroy China’s research programmes before it eclipses its own.

In a post published on the Chinese messaging app WeChat, the CCF criticised the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), which publishes research reports, for its decision.

“The IEEE was once considered an open international academic organisation, an academic community of practitioners in the information technology field, with members from all over the world, including China.”  But this time we regret to see that its Communications Society (ComSoc) has restricted the activities of its members on the grounds of local laws, which seriously violates the open, equal and non-politicized nature of being an international academic organisation.”

The CCF said it would suspend collaboration with ComSoc and called on CCF members to cease contributing to ComSoc events or research reports, and to refrain from reviewing its papers.

On its website, the IEEE lists the CCF as one of its “sister societies”. Since 2016, the two organizations have jointly given out awards to computer scientists under the age of 40.

In a statement addressing the peer review restrictions, the IEEE said Huawei employees who are members of the organisation can retain their membership and voting rights, and submit papers for publication. But it seems to suggest that the flow of information has to be one way and the IEEE will not allow the US sharing to the Chinese.

Of course, that is fair, after all, "America is the bestest", it invents everything and the Chinese only copy everything… right?

In a widely read open letter published on WeChat, Peking University professor Zhang Haixia said she would resign from the organisation in response to the measures.