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China-US scientific ties could stabilize relations with clearer boundaries
Student numbers show the impact of the hi-tech rivalry, with Chinese enrollment in the US falling from 372,532 in 2019-20 to 265,919 in 2024-25.
Scientific collaboration could act as a stabilizing force between China and the US, but researchers argue it needs to move beyond broad competition versus cooperation toward clearly defined boundaries and more continuous contact between the two governments, according to the SCMP Economy.
The article links the current strain to the shift of the rivalry from trade disputes to a hi-tech contest that has targeted cross-border talent flows. It cites Washington’s 2018 China Initiative, launched to address suspected trade secret and intellectual property theft, which helped drive a large outflow of US-trained Chinese scientists and reduced research ties.
Education data in the piece points to that weakening link. It says the number of Chinese students studying in the US fell from a peak of 372,532 in the 2019-20 academic year to 265,919 in 2024-25, according to the Institute of International Education.
The article also notes fewer American students are now studying in China, with enrollment dwindling to under 2,000, mostly in short-term undergraduate programs, down from about 11,000 in 2019, citing the US-China Education Trust.