Is China looking better to scientists than the US?

Since the Covid pandemic, confidence in the sciences has taken a bruising in America. According to a 2023 report by the Pew Research Center, only 57% of survey respondents stated that science has a mostly positive effect on society. This perspective was fostered by the first Trump administration’s politicization of the scientific community, accusing federal scientists of being part of a “deep state” conspiracy to weaken him politically, and by extension, weaken the country. That was just the beginning.

Within weeks of the second inauguration, thousands of science agency employees from NASA, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were abruptly fired. The job cuts have impacted nuclear safety, disease surveillance (including measles and bird flu), extreme weather forecasting, and climate research.

Taking the administration’s distaste for science a radical step further, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, leaving scientists aghast. It’s no surprise, then, the global scientific community is now wary of career opportunities in the US, opening the door for China to lure new, exceptional talent into their fold.

To draw foreign scientists, researchers, and students, China’s recruitment packages include salary, housing, and healthcare. And, because the country’s cost of living is relatively low with apartments renting for as little as $200, some renowned US-based scientists have already accepted their seductive offer.

Actions always speak louder than words. During his first term, Trump promised to attract “the best and brightest” to America. But with mass firings and tightened travel restrictions, the best and brightest may find China far more alluring. Read the details in this Nature article.