I left Silicon Valley: Chinese tech workers talk about returning home (restofworld.org)

A growing reverse migration of Chinese-origin tech and science talent is reshaping global AI/ML and hardware ecosystems. A Stanford study found nearly 19,955 Chinese-origin scientists who built careers in the U.S. left between 2010 and 2021, with departures among engineering and computer-science professionals spiking in 2021. Returnees cite U.S. visa uncertainty (H‑1B lottery, threats to student visas), anti-espionage prosecutions and a less welcoming environment, while China offers relocation subsidies, guaranteed labs and funding, government-backed incubators, and rapid opportunities to lead projects — incentives that accelerate career progression and entrepreneurship. Technically, this flow matters because China’s strength in manufacturing and integrated supply chains complements algorithmic innovation still strong in the U.S. Returnees’ stories span EV engineering (rapid end‑to‑end vehicle program leadership), AR hardware (XReal leveraging Chinese component makers and manufacturing expertise, even as it supplies global firms), game-engine talent (high local collaborator density), and agentic AI roles that let senior engineers stay hands-on. The shift boosts China’s capability to iterate hardware and systems quickly, deepens domestic talent pools for AI products, and may accelerate strategic decoupling in critical tech areas — creating both competitive pressure and new collaboration challenges for the global AI/ML community.