【By Liu Bai, Observer】Research stagnation, talent drain, and the Trump administration's actions since taking office have triggered a "cold wave" in the U.S. science community, providing ammunition for Democrats to attack.

Hong Kong English media South China Morning Post reported on November 5 that Raju Krishnamurthy, a senior Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, sent a letter on November 4 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), sharply criticizing the federal government's cut in research budgets which would weaken the U.S. technological advantage over China. He is currently requesting OMB Director Russell Vought to explain whether the agency has assessed the impact of the budget cuts.

Analysts noted that, by comparison, China is continuously increasing its emphasis on science and has explicitly stated its intention to take the lead in multiple scientific fields.

The White House's next fiscal year plan requires cutting the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget by 57%, the NASA science budget by 47%, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget by 39%.

Krishnamurthy pointed out that under the leadership of the OMB, the federal research funding is expected to drop from $198 billion to $154 billion next year, a decrease of 22%. In recent months, more than 12,000 employees at various research institutions have been laid off, forced to resign, or retired.

Raju Krishnamurthy, screenshot from video

He is concerned that these cuts may ultimately reduce U.S. economic output by more than $10 billion, weaken U.S. competitiveness, and encourage talent to move to China.

"The United States is destroying the foundation that has supported our leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and innovation for decades, while China has announced plans to continue increasing investment in technology and innovation."

He pointed out that China's R&D spending in 2024 has exceeded $496 billion, an increase of 48% compared to 2020. He also emphasized that the Chinese government introduced a new K visa program earlier this year, which allows young tech graduates to go to China without the need for an employer's invitation or sponsorship to participate in research, exchange, and entrepreneurship.

Krishnamurthy said that the budget cuts have had a "significant impact," with some scientists who previously worked in the U.S. joining Chinese research institutions this year.

The letter asks Vought to explain by November 7 whether the OMB has evaluated the impact of proposed and implemented research funding cuts on the economic and technological competitiveness of the U.S. and China, and to provide relevant analysis explaining how cutting funds for research institutions and talent programs will affect the U.S. innovation system.

The White House has not immediately commented on this.

Krishnamurthy is not the only one expressing concern about the U.S. research funding cuts.

In the Senate, some Republican senators have also opposed the White House's plan to cut funding. Susan Collins, a Republican senator from Maine and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in June that these cuts were "concerning" and would "undermine Congress's years of investment in the NIH and delay or halt the development of effective therapies and cures," warning that the U.S. might "fall behind China and other countries that are increasing their investments in biomedical research."

According to data from the National Science Board (NSB), the U.S. still maintains the leading position in global R&D spending, but China is rapidly catching up.

The NSB's report released in July stated that the U.S. spent nearly $94 billion on R&D across the entire economy in 2023. According to 2022 data, China's R&D spending growth rate exceeded that of the U.S., and in 2023, the number of peer-reviewed papers published by China was more than twice that of the U.S.

In this year's Global Innovation Index released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, China rose to 10th place, while it was 43rd in 2010, marking China's first entry into the top ten. The index ranks countries based on their innovation capability, level of technology adoption, and social and economic impacts brought by technological progress. The U.S. ranks third.

May 18, 2024, Hefei, Anhui, the public visited the fully superconducting tokamak nuclear fusion experimental device (EAST) known as the "artificial sun." IC Photo

Analysts noted that at last month's important meeting, China further strengthened its emphasis on technological self-reliance and innovation.

"Previously, when we talked about China's high-quality development, it referred more to economic transformation, increased investment in technology, and the widespread application of new technologies," said Wang Dan, director of Eurasia Group's China division, at an event last week.

"But this is the first time China has explicitly stated its intention to maintain or take the lead in multiple technology fields, especially basic research," she said.

Trump administration's "second term" began with a storm against science: dismantling federal research institutions, strongly suppressing top universities, and significantly cutting research funding

On October 7, 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics winner John Clauser criticized Trump's efforts to reshape the American scientific landscape, calling it "an extremely serious issue" and "a ridiculous situation that no scientist can understand."

"This will cause a large portion of U.S. research work to come to a standstill," he warned. "If continued, the consequences could be disastrous."

Foreign media pointed out that, in the context of ongoing U.S. containment and打压 in the technology sector and deteriorating Sino-U.S. relations, China clearly stated that it will continue to implement industrial policies supporting high-tech manufacturing and vowed to accelerate the independent innovation of cutting-edge technologies.

The latest "14th Five-Year Plan" clearly emphasizes achieving decisive breakthroughs in key core technologies in areas such as integrated circuits, machine tools, advanced materials, and biomanufacturing.

"The overall direction of the new five-year plan is not surprising, but it highlights China's goal of becoming a highly self-reliant technological power," said Ellen von Mammen, chief analyst and China economist at Danske Bank.

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