Under the dual pressures of tense Sino-US relations and domestic US politics, Chinese students, researchers, and tech professionals are accelerating their departure from the United States. A梳理 of three trends by The Economist is clear and alarming: a decline in the number of Chinese students studying in the US, a return of research talent to China, and a potential disruption in the core teams of tech companies. The article argues that these changes are undermining the US's greatest long-term advantage in maintaining technological leadership—the ability to attract and retain top global talent.
The changes on the student side are most obvious. The number of Chinese students studying in the US peaked in 2019 and has since declined by nearly 30%, not only due to the pandemic but also because of the hostile policies toward Chinese students in Washington, from visa uncertainties to congressional reports depicting Chinese doctoral students as potential "reserve forces of the Chinese army." At the same time, some Chinese companies have reduced their emphasis on the prestige of returning overseas students, while the attractiveness of Chinese universities and industries has increased, putting some Chinese students at risk of being marginalized both in China and the US. The downturn in the research community is equally evident. Between 2010 and 2021, approximately 20,000 researchers with Chinese backgrounds left the US, and this exodus accelerated after the Trump administration launched the "China Initiative" in 2018—aggressive enforcement led to a chilling effect, and only one-quarter of cases resulted in convictions. The program was eventually halted in 2022, but trust had already been damaged. Among those who left, two-thirds chose to return to China in 2021, and China's research funding and talent programs provided strong incentives. In the most critical technology areas, especially artificial intelligence, the US's leading advantage is also being eroded. China remains the largest source of AI talent for the US, accounting for nearly 40% of AI researchers. However, the increase in research output from Chinese companies and universities, along with the uncertainty of US visa policies, has caused some top researchers to shift toward China or Europe. Even scientists who remain in Silicon Valley worry that the environment in the US for high-level Chinese talents is becoming colder. Overall, The Economist believes that the US is actively weakening its technological competitiveness through its own policies. The more scientists feel unwelcome in the US, the warmer China's welcome will be. If this trend continues, it will place the US at a structural disadvantage in the strategic competition with China in terms of talent.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850558165223434/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.