Chinese-American professor appeals expulsion from Singapore

A Chinese-American academic, who has been identified by the Singapore government as “as an agent of influence of a foreign country”, has appealed the country’s decision to revoke his permanent resident status.

Singapore’s ministry of home affairs claimed that Huang Jing used his senior academic position at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to “deliberately and covertly advance the agenda of a foreign country at Singapore’s expense”, in collaboration with foreign intelligence agents.

In a statement published on 4 August, it added: “This amounts to subversion and foreign interference in Singapore’s domestic politics. Huang’s continued presence in Singapore, and that of his wife, are therefore undesirable. Both will be permanently banned from re-entering Singapore.”

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore also suspended Professor Huang from his position as the Lee Foundation professor on US-China relations.

Professor Huang, who was born in China and is a US citizen, has appealed the government’s decision. He expressed uncertainty about whether he had been accused of aiding Beijing or Washington.

"I did everything required by Singapore law and that's all I can say," he told Reuters.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com