The War for Chinese Talent in America

Sept. 24, 2024: The War for Chinese Talent in America

In the mid-1990s, China continued to lose its highly educated researchers and scholars as they left the country to work abroad. So in 2001, Chinese leader Jiang Zemin tried something new: he encouraged PRC-born Chinese abroad to help their country without having to return home — by transferring knowledge back to China.

But in 2018, the Trump administration aimed to block China’s access to such knowledge, and it investigated hundreds of Chinese researchers living and working in the U.S.

Did China’s strategy work? And was the U.S. crackdown worth the negative impact it had on scientific collaboration? Noted China scholar David S. Zweig answered these questions and more in a fascinating presentation that is sure to interest scholars, scientists, and community members alike.