Can China poach US-trained scientists?

There were few if any Chinese students in my college classes and none in my graduate program. There was only one Chinese postdoc in the lab where I did postdoctoral training, and no Chinese grad students. But two of the four grad students who started in my department when I started as a faculty in 1987 were Chinese. Ultimately, I trained three Chinese PhD students and two Chinese postdocs in my lab. There was one Chinese faculty at the time I started, although he was from Taiwan. Today, 3 of the 18 faculty are Chinese. 

China has been sending some of their best and brightest students for decades, and they represent a major reservoir of US-trained scientific talent. But Trump’s attacks on science, federal research and research universities threatens this investment in human capital. On the other hand, China is expanding its commitment to scientific research.

“The Chinese government is ramping up its support for science, announcing plans to boost two key budgets at the country’s biggest political meeting called the Two Sessions.

 

“China has proposed to increase its overall research and development (R&D) expenditure by at least 7% per year over the next five years, which translates to billions of extra dollars each year. This typically covers government and private-industry spending on basic research, applied research and experimental development.

 

“China’s R&D expenditure has skyrocketed over the past 20 years. Last year, it exceeded 3.9 trillion yuan (US$567 billion). For the past five years, it has increased by at least 8% a year.

 

“China’s latest R&D target was set as part of the country’s next five-year plan (FYP), which serves as an overarching blueprint and will run from 2026 to 2030. The plan — the 15th in the country’s history — is currently being reviewed by lawmakers in Beijing.

 

“Unlike many countries, including the United States, in which private companies drive R&D, China’s has so far been dominated by state-owned enterprises and government laboratories. As of 2023, the Chinese government was the world’s biggest spender on R&D, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). But China wants private companies to lead its R&D over the next five years.”

Will this be enough to lure Chinese scientist in America back home? I certainly know of a few American-trained Chinese scientists who did return and have enjoyed more support than they likely would have found by staying in the US. America can’t afford to lose their talent and the reputational damage Trump hopes to cause America’s scientific enterprise.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00770-y?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=420beacc28-nature-briefing-daily-20260311&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-33f35e09ea-499183763&fbclid=IwY2xjawQeiNlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFwRzNzc2hmMmlVRWJBbUMyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHl-UktoCdBlstJKaWGol8sgeabYXYpzGF7KWxGGusbbgT5yXkqpy6t19g_WI_aem_dj6FcdNddDvaARmP_bOQNQ 

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