Sat, Apr 12, 2025 page3

• Orchid research becomes victim of ‘united front’

  • By Hung Jui-chin and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  Taiwanese orchid research allegedly became subject to Chinese “united front” tactics, with “Taiwan” removed from an author’s address and replaced with “China” on research papers, a source said yesterday.

  Orchid breeding and cultivation is one of Taiwan’s most critical strategic industries, and is substantially funded by the government.

  Taiwanese orchid research has accomplished multiple international achievements over the past few years and constitutes an asset to all Taiwanese, said an academic, speaking on condition of anonymity.

  

  Orchids are displayed at the Taiwan International Orchid Show in Tainan this year.

  Photo: Hung Jui-chin, Taipei Times

  However, a researcher from an orchid research center in southern Taiwan allegedly shared key research with Chinese researchers for personal academic fame by allowing China to assume ownership of his research, they said.

  He also granted the Chinese researchers access to Taiwan’s orchid database, including genome data of all Orchidaceae, moth orchids and wolfberries, the source said, adding that such loss of intellectual property was on the verge of being a national security issue.

  The study on Pleione limprichtii has the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University prioritized on the paper, with his address listed as “Tainan City 701, China.”

  The replacement of “Taiwan” with “China” on research papers and listing Taiwanese as coauthors mean that Taiwan does not own the research, the source said.

  Research departments should have spotted the problem, but they did not and might be guilty of negligence, they said.

  While China continues to fund cross-strait academic cooperation and exchanges, such undermining of Taiwanese intellectual property could cause Taiwan to lose its competitive edge, the source said.

  The researcher said the orchid genome database constructed by his laboratory in southern Taiwan in 2011 was aimed at providing complete data on orchid genomes for researchers worldwide and orchid breeders in Taiwan to use.

  No matter which country the researchers are from, they could help to promote Taiwan’s global visibility when they access Taiwan’s orchid genome database, he said.

  As for being listed as a coauthor, the researcher said that he is actually the corresponding author of the paper on the orchid genome database, with the complete address of his academic unit in Taiwan.

  The address does not have “Taiwan” replaced with “China,” he said, adding that the research paper acknowledges the Ministry of Education and has a National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) project number.

  The researcher also said that he was listed as a coauthor for the study on Pleione limprichtii, as he participated in the discussion.

  He did not take part in publishing the research, which was not funded by the NSTC, he said, adding that he did not collaborate again with the study’s corresponding author — a Chinese researcher — either.

  Regarding the research on star fruit genomes published in a Chinese journal, which has a Chinese academic listed as corresponding author and him as a coauthor, the researcher said he already sent an e-mail to express protest upon knowing that his address was listed as “China.”

  However, the editors did not change his address back to “Taiwan,” he said, adding that the research was not funded by the NSTC.
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