(FILE)

Xie Jianping, a newly elected academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has aroused much public criticism for his research on tobacco.

Xie's research focuses on adding Chinese herbal medicine to cigarettes to reduce tar content. In China, tobacco firms normally use low-tar products in promotional efforts. Some companies even claim their products can help people's health.

Opponents against Xie's election argue that based on the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, low-tar tobacco advertising is fraudulent and misleads the public, and that it's impossible to reduce the risks of smoking by picking low-tar cigarettes. Xie's successful election was criticized as a shame for science, and his research would help the tobacco industry make profit.

Xie is now vice president of the Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute affiliated to the China National Tobacco Corporation.