US-China scientific decoupling: the hidden costs of geopolitical rivalry

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, it confronts a new world order dominated by its relationship with China. In this wide-ranging series, we examine the pressure points and possibilities in those ties, from hard tech to soft power. Here, Dannie Peng looks at what is at stake amid the countries’ historic low in scientific collaboration.

In late May, Zhang Ning, founder of TopEdit, a Maryland-based company that provides editing services for academic publications, learned of a troubling development.

The US Congress was discussing a proposal to ban American research institutions from collaborating with certain Chinese entities using federal research funds.

Zhang’s immediate reaction was blunt: “This is absurd.”

Zhang’s exchange took place with a vice-president for a global publishing company during the annual meeting of the Society for Scholarly Publishing in San Diego.

“My first reaction was: is this real? It is ridiculous,” Zhang recalled, adding that even if the bill eventually failed, “it feels as though the world is becoming increasingly irrational”.

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Why are more Chinese scientists leaving the US to return to China?