ABSTRACT
In 2016, Xi Jinping declared that the global “competition for comprehensive national strength is essentially a competition for talent.” 1 Although not the first leader to call on the importance of talent for China's success, since his ascension to power in 2012, Xi has placed an even stronger emphasis on cultivating talent, particularly in emerging technology fields like AI, biotechnology, quantum computing, and more. These efforts have been twofold: on the one hand, ministries and offices across the Chinese Party-state have worked to reform primary, secondary, and higher education to equip the younger generation with the technical skills for the AI-era. On the other hand, China seeks to address long-standing concerns over a “brain drain” to the United States, Europe, and elsewhere, as these nations have the infrastructure, competitive advantage, resources, and notoriety to attract Chinese talent not only to go abroad to study, but also to stay for years afterward and postpone a return to China.
