The dropping of criminal charges against Chinese-American Xiaoxing Xi by the US Justice Department on Friday is hopefully the end of his particular tribulations, but it will not be the end of the political climate under which quite a number of scientists or people in other key areas with connections with China will be closely watched, simply because of the United States' paranoia about China.

Xiaoxing Xi, former chairman of Temple University's physics department, was accused of sharing sensitive technology with China and charged with four counts of wire fraud in May and thereafter arrested.

It may take some time for this renowned scientist and his family to regain some normalcy in their lives. But it is not a matter of time but a matter of attitude for the United States to look at China as a real partner rather than a potential adversary.