Things are changing, scientists of Chinese descent

Things are changing, and more and more Chinese scientists are being forced to leave the United States.

Why?

Because of fear!

The Journal of the National Academy of Sciences recently published a research report titled "Trapped in the Clash: Fear of Chinese American Scientists.". The report points out that from 2010 to 2021, the number of Chinese American scientists leaving the United States continued to rise, with many choosing to return to China during the period of 2018 to 2021, where scientists left at a particularly fast pace.

In addition, in a survey of 1304 Chinese American scientists, although 89% of the respondents hoped to contribute to the leading position of technology in the United States; However, at the same time, 72% of respondents admitted that they feel unsafe as researchers in the United States, and 61% of respondents said they have considered job opportunities outside the United States.

Where does fear come from?

Racial discrimination and anti China impulses from the United States, especially the "China Action Plan" launched during the Trump era.

The so-called "action plan" to address the so-called "security and technological threats" from foreign countries is actually to combat Sino US scientific and technological cooperation, especially targeting Chinese American scientists.

Many Chinese American scholars working and studying in American universities have been investigated, with over 20 of them being charged or even criminally charged and arrested.

What is the result?

Many are simply unnecessary.

Taking the Chen Gang case as an example. Chen Gang is a former head of the Department of Engineering at MIT and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He was arrested on January 14, 2021, his laboratory was closed, and his research team was disbanded. But one year later, all charges were dropped.

Some Americans are enthusiastic about going online and catching spies. Under this cold cicada effect, how can Chinese scientists not feel afraid?

The report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states: "Chinese American scientists in the United States now face higher motivations to leave the United States and lower motivations to apply for federal funding. Common fear and anxiety lead them to consider leaving the United States and/or stopping applying for federal funding."

This fear and anxiety even spread to humanities scholars.

Li Cheng has served as the director of the John Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution for many years. When I worked in Washington, I often visited the center and knew this Chinese scholar from Chinese Mainland.

But after working at this center for 17 years, Li Cheng also chose to leave.

I saw him saying in a media interview that Washington is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to him, McCarthyism is making a comeback in the United States, and Chinese Americans like him are becoming less comfortable living there.

He said, "My observation is that... Chinese American students or students holding green cards in the United States, because of this very worrying McCarthyism, although American university presidents have performed well and strongly criticized this McCarthyism, it has created an atmosphere where some top Chinese or Chinese American scientists are going to China or other places to teach and work."

In a public speech, Li Cheng said that more and more Americans are asking him to clarify which side he is speaking for: "When I say 'we', people will ask, who is 'we?"

This fear and anxiety made him choose to go to the University of Hong Kong and create a new "China and World Governance Center".

Many scientists have also returned to the mainland, such as the renowned structural biologist and foreign academician of the National Academy of Sciences, Yan Ning, who announced last year that he would leave Princeton University and return to China to establish the Shenzhen Academy of Medical Sciences.

According to the report of the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences, nearly half of the Chinese scientists who left the United States in 2010 moved to Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, and the proportion of Chinese scientists who went to Chinese Mainland these years is still rising.

I always feel that these are two forces at work.

One is the attractiveness of China. It's simple, China welcomes scientists from all over the world, including Chinese scientists. China's increasingly favorable research environment and development prospects have led these scientists to choose to return to their home countries.

More importantly, it is the repulsive force of the United States. How can such racial discrimination, especially the act of catching spies against Chinese scholars, not make scientists feel cold?

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

I don't know. See where you stand.

I have seen some American media expressing anxiety, and an article in Foreign Policy warns that if this trend continues, it may have a significant impact on US research in the long run.

The article quotes David Bier, Deputy Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, as saying, "This is absolutely devastating. Many of the researchers that the United States relies on in the field of advanced technology are from China or foreign students, and this phenomenon will definitely have a negative impact on American companies and future research in the United States."

Will the United States change?

It's difficult! The policy of hostility towards China remains unchanged, and this discrimination against Chinese scholars is difficult to change.

In fact, not only are Chinese scientists forced to leave, but the United States is also tightening visas for Chinese international students, and some so-called sensitive disciplines even prohibit the recruitment of Chinese international students. According to a study by the Cato Institute, the visa rejection rate of Chinese students studying in the United States reached 35% in 2022, the highest level in 20 years.

Meanwhile, due to this oppressive environment, many American students are also afraid to study in China. It is said that there are at least 300000 Chinese international students in the United States now; But in China, there are only 350 American students studying abroad.

"We are losing a generation of people who have knowledge about China. I am concerned that the United States is overly concerned about the risks of academic relations and not fully considering their benefits when dealing with this issue... and this situation exists in both parties," warned Murphy, former director of the Fairchild Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University

Finally, what do you think?

Let's have three basic opinions.

Firstly, the United States is no longer the original United States.

The United States has changed, and it has indeed become a bit unfamiliar. I remember when I worked in the United States, I often had contact with American officials and even visited my home. Everyone is talking more about cooperation, friendship, and jointly responding to crises.

But now?

Many are unimaginable and even want to "catch spies" among Chinese scientists. The original open and inclusive America has completely disappeared.

I remember the Atlantic Monthly in the United States also lamented in an article that the increasingly protectionist practices of the United States are pushing the most valuable asset in technological competition towards China.

Secondly, China is not the original China either.

Otherwise, there won't be more and more Chinese scientists choosing to return to China. Of course, China must learn from the lessons of the United States, see its own gaps, and be more open.

In this world, openness is the true confidence. Only through openness can we attract more talents; Only more talents can create new miracles.

Don't avoid it, we did send a lot of talents to the United States before, but don't worry, as long as there is a good enough environment, talents will always return, not just Chinese American talents.

Thirdly, I couldn't help but think of the story of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, when the imperial examination was widely held, Emperor Taizong of Tang secretly came to Duanmen and saw the new candidates walking out one by one. He happily said, "There are enough heroes in the world to enter me."

What is most important in the 21st century?

Talent!

The true layout is the layout for the future; The real competition is the competition for talent.

I always feel that now, not only should we encourage the heavens to rejuvenate and demote talents, but we should also demonstrate courage and attractiveness in the global talent competition, and have the courage to include world talents in the pool.

This is the true vision and atmosphere of a great country.

Personal opinion does not represent any organization