no visas for Chinese cryptologists

[Udhay Shankar N]

http://nytimes.com/2005/08/17/business/worldbusiness/17code.html

Chinese Cryptologists Get Invitations to a U.S. Conference, but No Visas

By JOHN MARKOFF
Published: August 17, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 16 - Last year a Chinese mathematician, Xiaoyun Wang, 
shook up the insular world of code breakers by exposing a new vulnerability 
in a crucial American standard for data encryption. On Monday, she was 
scheduled to explain her discovery in a keynote address to an international 
group of researchers meeting in California.

But a stand-in had to take her place, because she was not able to enter the 
country. Indeed, only one of nine Chinese researchers who sought to enter 
the country for the conference received a visa in time to attend.

Although none of the scientists were officially denied visas by the United 
States Consulate, officials at the State Department and National Academy of 
Sciences said this week that the situation was not uncommon.

Lengthy delays in issuing visas are now routine, they said, particularly 
for those involved in sensitive scientific and technical fields.

The visa snag angered organizers of the annual meeting of the International 
Cryptology Conference, who argued that restrictions originally created to 
prevent the transfer of advanced technologies from the United States are 
now having the opposite effect.

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-- 
((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))


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