Why are more Chinese scientists leaving the US to return to China?
The annual net flow of scientific authors into the US dropped by more than two-thirds between 2018 and 2022, while the figure for China surged nearly 80 per cent
Chinese scientists have been leaving the US to return to China in a wave that is changing the landscape of global research. The trend, which has seen departures nearly triple between 2010 and 2021, has been accelerating since 2018, coinciding with the US Department of Justice's China Initiative. While intended to combat economic espionage, the initiative is accused of unfairly targeting Chinese and Chinese-affiliated scientists, leading to funding cuts, disrupted research and damaged careers. China's growing scientific prominence and attractive incentives are also helping to lure scientists back home. Experts warn the exodus could negatively impact US science and international research collaboration, particularly as some fear a resurgence of stricter policies under the second term of US President Donald Trump.