China's government encourages members of the Chinese diaspora to engage in technology transfer through Chinese professional associations. This issue brief analyzes 208 such associations to assess the scope of technical exchange between overseas professionals and entities within China.

The Chinese government seeks to exert influence through its scholarship and exchange programs. This issue brief assembles a picture of the China Scholarship Council—the primary vehicle by which the state provides scholarships—through Chinese-language sources.

See our translation of a complete list and description of all Chinese Academy of Science talent recruitment programs. CAS has talent programs primarily targeting young scientists in strategic and emerging disciplines, including defense-related “military-civil fusion” technologies; some are aimed at domestic S&T talent, while others recruit foreign scientists.

See CSET's translation of a document detailing the number and affiliation of CAS-sponsored candidates for China’s “Youth Thousand Talents Program” as of 2011. Under the program, prospective employers such as CAS are responsible for identifying overseas talent they wish to recruit, and must submit applications on behalf of their candidates.

See our translation of an agreement between Chinese students who study abroad and the PRC Ministry of Education’s China Scholarship Council. It requires students on CSC scholarships to report regularly on the progress of their studies and mandates that those who study abroad return to China for at least two years.

China’s strategy to grow its science and technology talent includes: 1) improving domestic education; 2) attracting overseas Chinese talent; and 3) attracting foreign talent. While China’s commitment to domestic education reform has achieved remarkable results, significant challenges remain.

See our translation of the Ministry of Science and Technology describes a plan to entice foreign scientists, professors and entrepreneurs to work in China. Chinese companies, universities and research institutes apply on behalf of their prospective foreign employees.

See our translation of three different Chinese government programs designed to recruit foreign talent in 2020 in support of China’s economic development, particularly in tech fields.

See our translation of a tech transfer plan, which briefly addresses China's system for acquiring foreign technology, but the bulk of the document deals with transfers of technology within China, such as finding practical, commercially viable applications of new discoveries and putting technological advancements to work in rural areas and economically disadvantaged regions.

China is broadening its deeply rooted technology transfer practices to include artificial intelligence. As these efforts bear fruit, we discuss how the United States can and should respond.