UNITED STATES Chinese scientists flee US, academic collaboration in jeopardy

72% of Chinese researchers in the US say they “don’t feel safe.” 61% look for new opportunities in a third country. Many of those who left chose China and Hong Kong as their base. The policies of former President Trump encouraged the exodus. Academics warn that the benefits of collaboration outweigh the risks.

Beijing () – The escalation of tension between Beijing and Washington, which so far has had political, economic and diplomatic repercussions, is also affecting the world of science, already undermined by accusations and suspicions on both sides about the origin of Covid-19. The new chapter of the conflict involves the investigation, the latest indicator of worsening relations. In a climate of growing suspicion, an increasing number of Chinese academics are leaving the United States and trying to relocate to other countries, complicating collaboration.

Chinese scientists living in the United States have for decades contributed to fundamental research that has enabled the development of advanced technologies. However, growing numbers are looking for work elsewhere and deteriorating geopolitical relations fuel tightening controls on Chinese researchers, as Beijing recruits and retains more and more talent. A recent study confirms the brain drain, and if the trend continues, experts warn it could deal a serious blow to American ambitions in the long run.

From semiconductor chips to artificial intelligence, technology has been at the forefront of the competition between the United States and China, with both sides scrambling to take the lead. Cooperation, even in key sectors such as the fight against climate change, has been scant. In the 2010-21 decade, the number of scientists of Chinese origin who moved to a third country rose from 900 to 2,621, with an acceleration between 2018 and 2021 that shows no sign of diminishing, according to data from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (PNAS). And about half of them have moved precisely to China or Hong Kong.

Although this figure represents a small fraction, the number of those who decide to leave reflects the growing concerns of researchers in the climate of geopolitical tension. A survey report of 1,304 Chinese-American researchers found that 89% want to contribute to US science and technology leadership. However, 72% also said they felt unsafe being a researcher in the US. , while 61% had considered the possibility of seeking opportunities in another country.

The exodus accelerated in 2018, the year in which then-President Donald Trump launched a controversial program aimed at countering Beijing’s theft of intellectual property and cast shadows and suspicions about collaboration with Chinese institutions. Later, in 2020, he issued a measure denying visas to graduates and researchers affiliated with Chinese universities associated with the Armed Forces.

The growing challenges are a mirror image of the geopolitical storm between the two superpowers, which has not spared the world of academia and research, with even lawmakers in some states pressuring the White House to further disrupt relations with their Chinese counterparts. . Interviewed by Foreign Policy (FP) Daniel Murphy, former director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University, noted that “we are losing a generation of people who know China.” “I am concerned – he adds – that the United States is approaching the issue in a way that excessively focuses on the risks of the academic relationship, without taking due account of the benefits. I think that is evident in a wide range of areas, and that it is bipartisan.”