Heightened scrutiny on scientists of Chinese origin to harm US: analysts

HONG KONG -- The US is shooting itself in the foot in the battle for talent as it has put Chinese-American scientists under scrutiny and chilled the climate for scientists studying and working there, a Hong Kong-based newspaper reported Saturday.

The South China Morning Post said that for scientists and researchers of Chinese descent in the United States, the landscape has grown a lot more difficult to navigate safely since 2018.

"There is a level of fear among the Chinese-American scientific community right now that is very palpable," the report quoted Rory Truex, an assistant professor at Princeton University studying Chinese politics, as saying.

Many analysts worry that putting Chinese-American scientists collectively under federal scrutiny and blocking Chinese students from coming to the United States will chip away at American tech leadership.

"Framing the problem of geopolitical competition with China as an excuse to make us more closed will only shoot ourselves in the foot," said Mary Gallagher, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan.

"If the United States becomes more shut down to international students, this will harm the United States, and it will really not hurt China. The students and the researchers will just go to another country. The UK, Australia, and Canada will all benefit from our mistake," Gallagher said.