In The War for Chinese Talent in America, David Zweig traces the trajectory of Chinese government efforts in knowledge and technology transfer, and the ensuing reaction from the U.S. government, most notably through the Department of Justice’s China Initiative. Zweig presents a compelling argument that many Chinese researchers, driven by a desire to repay their country for their education and help China overcome the scientific setbacks of the Cultural Revolution, sought to create a robust research ecosystem in China. This phenomenon, known as the “Diaspora Option,” has been utilised by developing nations to harness the expertise of their expatriates. The book reveals how China’s party/state has aggressively implemented programs to entice ethnic Chinese in America to transfer technological knowledge back home.

Foreign universities, governments and international organisations have long encouraged the hiring of talented Chinese nationals. Zweig underscores the significant contributions of China-born scholars in diaspora, whose work often garners high citations and top journal publications, and who serve as vital conduits in the global flow of scientific knowledge. However, this strategy carries risks for the economic and military security of developed countries. The strongest arguments emerge from his own surveys and firsthand experiences, particularly as U.S.-China relations began to strain. He shares poignant examples, such as his 2018 visit to Silicon Valley, where “…the United States Trade Representative under the Trump administration was investigating if Chinese firms in the US were illegally transferring proprietary technology to China, making a survey impossible. In fact, the heads of Chinese business associations refused to talk.”

He describes how “The Chinese government saw these people as more willing than other foreigners to set up firms in China, partly because of the ethnic comfort of doing business with their former (and maybe future) homeland, and they were more willing to transfer technology back to China, a target of the program to “strengthen the country through science and education” (科教兴国). Some overseas mainlanders who designed a technology, but whose employers owned the technology, ignored patent laws, setting up shop in China to benefit from their own creativity.”

The case studies present a vivid picture of apolitical Chinese scholars, who, lured by high status and opportunities for personal enrichment, became entangled in the Chinese government’s ambitious plans. The China Initiative, aimed at curbing these transfers, led to wrongful accusations and the disruption of academic careers. Many had their cases dropped or are still languishing in an academic purgatory. Zweig sensitively documents this fraught period, providing case studies that bring to light the often-unseen victims of this campaign. Zweig captures the complexities and fears surrounding the experiences of Asian researchers in the U.S., highlighting instances of wrongful accusations despite America’s independent judiciary, free press, and civil rights organisations.

Zweig examines the motivations of China-born scholars who participated in these talent programs, delving into questions of personal gain, patriotism, and allegations of espionage. He acknowledges that some were driven by greed, seeking double funding for their work, while others aimed to elevate Chinese science to global standards. The book critiques the “double-dipping” and “conflict of commitment” practices that emerged, with scholars working for Chinese institutions while employed abroad, often without proper disclosure. He outlines several cases where criminal charges were dropped, but lesser offenses, such as fraud and conflicts of interest, persisted. This book does not imply that researchers are being penalized for their open connections to China, but for failing to disclose those connections. It is unclear whether individuals are being denied U.S. government grants when they are transparent in their university and grant funding documentation.

He notes that some individuals had committed to returning to their clandestine Chinese universities for months, which seems absurd; it’s hard to imagine any employer, cultural differences between the U.S. and China aside, being okay with their employees disappearing for months without prior agreement. While it’s possible some genuinely forgot to disclose their involvement in various university talent programs or all sources of funding on their CVs or job applications, it is unclear whether charges were dropped due to a lack of wrongdoing or because conservative assistant attorneys required a very high evidentiary standard in this area. By focusing mainly on cancer research, the author appears to sidestep the actual harm to the U.S. economy and national security when researchers transfer technology without reaching a criminal threshold.

While the book is rich in detail, it occasionally falters, particularly in its opening chapters, which focus broadly on brain drain and migration trends generally. The narrative could benefit from tighter integration of its overarching themes. The book’s strongest sections are those that draw original research and personal interviews. One issue may be that the author, being deeply entrenched in academia, forgets to explain things for the general reader, particularly in the sections about the peer review process. The concern appears to be that these academics are violating academic norms by sharing private, unpublished review proposals with colleagues in China, who can then capitalize on this research before it undergoes the U.S. peer review process and is approved for publication. Additionally, readers unfamiliar with Chinese idioms might find the reference to chickens and monkeys confusing; the full idiom is “To kill a chicken to scare the monkey.”

The War for Chinese Talent in America may seem overly optimistic to some, but it offers a necessary counterbalance to more alarmist accounts. The book is a valuable resource for understanding the nuances of the U.S.-China research exchange and the consequences of draconian measures against Chinese scientists. It is essential reading for those involved in international academia, legal departments, and anyone interested in the intersections of international relations and the criminal justice system.

Provided by the Association for Asian Studies for review. Part of the Asia Shorts Book Series.

The book is about the emigration of skilled or educated workers from one country to another, colloquially referred to as 'brain drain.' The book focuses on the movement from China to the U.S., with discussion of other countries.

China has looked on this sort of migration as an economic crisis. It has created programs that focus on Chinese nationals to get them to continue to work in China, work with Chinese scholars, or to get them to come back to China.

The United States sees this as a strategic crisis. The U.S. is worried about espionage and private trade secrets, particularly those with military applications. It has created legal obligations and penalties that a lot of these otherwise lawful residents bear.

Elements of the problem go back a few decades, but get warmer in the late aughts and early '10s, with the Chinese government starting up much more active policy measures to reward and encourage people coming back, or at least doing some cross-national collaboration. Meanwhile, it becomes a hot issue in the Trump era. Like a lot of things, the Trump administration did not change policy as much as go 'mask off' about it, and get aggressive about enforcement. The Biden administration has rolled that back some, but still is hawkish on China in general.

The author thinks that U.S. fears are unfounded. He repeatedly references either McCarthy's HUAC behaviors or the purges of Maoist China to describe the U.S. actions. And by far here the strongest section is the case studies. In the one seemingly guilty and five seemingly innocent situations, U.S. law enforcement and U.S. university systems look like they are borderline competent. The only real gotcha moments are over financial crimes. The author points out the irony that that U.S. policy is creating the environment that Chinese policy never could: getting educated workers to move back to China to avoid harassment, racism, and character assassination in the U.S..

This book excels as a micro-history of a particular segment of foreign policy and U.S.-China relations. The writing is academic and dry, but the copious charts, graphs, and other visual aids make up all ground lost there. But it does not stick the landing.

Espionage is like fraud: we know about it when someone does a bad job. The author leans on advances in medical science, not a risk-free topic by any means, but much easier to focus on the "for all mankind" appeal. Technology and engineering gets narrower, more risky.

I am specifically not saying that academics is infested with PRC spies and assets.

Also, I am specifically saying that the author's position is reasonable. You can look at the theatrical bumbling of the FBI, which would be comic if not so tyrannical, and say 'this is security theater, and not worth it.' The sort of 'you can beat the rap but not the ride' methodology where the cruelty is the point, that enables the cowardly administrator is bad. You can base that on what facts we know.

But in the context of what amount to dueling racially-charged policies of two nations, each with their own internal politics and with a whole environment of other strategic, economic, and political concerns to address, I do not think that it gives the matter a fair shake without, say, investigating those concerns from that perspective.

Rephrased, the individual chapters of the book are high grade, with lots of interesting and well-sourced material. I just do not know if they all fit together like the author thinks that they do.

My thanks to the author, David Zweig, for writing the book, and for the publisher, Association for Asian Studies, for making the ARC available to me.