Analysts note a “slow acceleration” in Chinese researchers returning from the US this year amid tighter American visa and funding rules. China has also launched a K visa to attract foreign science and tech talent.

Several prominent Chinese figures, including top Harvard mathematician Liu Jun, award-winning computer scientist and blockchain expert Chen Jing and rising AI star Fu Tianfan, have since left the US and returned to China to take up roles in prestigious institutions in cities like Beijing, Nanjing and Shenzhen.