The War for Chinese Talent in America by David Zweig

To address their “brain drain,” some developing countries implement the “Diaspora Option,” encouraging nationals abroad to share their knowledge with their homeland. Since the mid-1990s, China has aggressively utilized various programs and incentives to persuade ethnic Chinese in America to transfer their technological expertise back home. While many of these individuals aimed to strengthen their former homeland, others acted out of self-interest.

In 2018, the Trump Administration initiated a campaign dubbed the “China Initiative,” akin to a McCarthy-like crusade against Chinese scientists in the U.S. This led to investigations, arrests, and disruptions of research, affecting hundreds of individuals and resulting in lost jobs, although many cases were later dropped. This book chronicles China's determined efforts to access U.S. technology and America’s counteractions to impede this transfer. Through six case studies, it reveals the stories of lesser-known victims of this campaign and underscores how the conflict has weakened Sino-American scientific collaboration and caused the exodus of top Chinese talent back to China.