A Chinese Student's Exit Interview: What America Gets Wrong About China (And What China Gets Right About Competition)

Pekingology's Zichen Wang reflects on his year at Princeton, the crackdown on Chinese students, and why America's abandonment of soft power represents a strategic mistake in the competition with China.

Key Takeaways

• Chinese students contribute to American research through symbiotic collaboration rather than extractive knowledge transfer, staying in labs for months creating papers in top journals
• The State Department's aggressive visa revocation program affects 270,000 Chinese students currently in the US, creating chilling effects even on those not directly targeted
• China's education system produces massive STEM talent pools due to Soviet-influenced specialized universities and cultural emphasis on "hard" subjects over liberal arts
• Private Chinese companies like BYD and new EV manufacturers are outcompeting state-run automobile giants that benefited from joint venture protections for decades
• American perceptions of China as monolithic Communist control miss the reality that over half of GDP, taxation, and employment come from private companies
• The historical precedent for Chinese student exchanges dates to early 1900s "money diplomacy" when the US converted Boxer Rebellion reparations into scholarship programs
• China's convergence toward consumer spending and social safety nets parallels America's adoption of industrial policy, suggesting structural similarities despite political rhetoric
• Crackdowns on Chinese students represent abandonment of people-to-people exchanges that historically prevented catastrophic miscalculations between major powers
• Chinese leadership openly receives American non-governmental visitors while the US delegitimizes similar Chinese interactions despite private meetings

Timeline Overview

• 00:00–15:00 — Educational motivations: Why Princeton over UK/Singapore options, visa uncertainty under new administration, historical context of US-China student exchanges
• 15:00–30:00 — Campus environment: Chilling effects on Chinese students, university guidance responses, comparison to previous decades of openness
• 30:00–45:00 — Educational systems comparison: Chinese STEM focus versus American liberal arts, Soviet legacy influences, cultural attitudes toward "real" professions
• 45:00–60:00 — Biggest misunderstandings: Normalizing China's political complexity, private sector dynamism, examples of Chinese government short-sightedness
• 60:00–75:00 — Economic evolution: Rise of private EV companies over state-run auto giants, changing career preferences from finance to hard tech
• 75:00–90:00 — Convergence theory: America becoming more like China through industrial policy, China adopting consumer-focused economic strategies

The Symbiotic Reality of International Graduate Education

Zichen Wang's defense of Chinese student contributions challenges the extractive narrative that frames international education as one-way knowledge transfer benefiting only foreign students.

• Graduate-level STEM education operates as collaborative research rather than classroom-based knowledge transmission, with international students conducting original research in American laboratories
• Chinese and Indian students contribute meaningfully to groundbreaking research by staying in labs for days and months, resulting in publications in top American academic journals
• The process creates knowledge rather than simply transferring existing information, with international students serving as active contributors to American scientific advancement
• Approximately 50% of global AI talent has Chinese heritage according to Nvidia's Jensen Huang, representing enormous intellectual capacity currently contributing to American research institutions
• Many international students remain in the US legally after graduation, becoming entrepreneurs, researchers, and taxpayers while pursuing American dreams
• Those who return to their home countries serve as informal ambassadors of American openness, inclusiveness, and hospitality, creating long-term diplomatic benefits
• The bilateral benefit structure means American universities gain research capacity while international students receive world-class education and training opportunities
• This symbiotic relationship historically served as a defense mechanism against strategic misunderstanding and miscalculation between major powers

The characterization of international graduate education as extractive fundamentally misunderstands how advanced research actually operates in university settings.

The Chilling Effect: How Visa Policies Transform Campus Life

The State Department's aggressive approach to Chinese student visas creates atmosphere of uncertainty that affects educational experiences beyond those directly targeted by policy changes.

• Current policy affects 270,000 Chinese students in the US, representing the second-largest international student population after India, down from historical peaks when China led
• Visa revocation threats extend beyond currently enrolled students to those on Optional Practical Training (OPT) status, creating uncertainty for post-graduation career planning
• The broad language of State Department announcements fails to specify exact criteria for targeting, leaving Chinese students unable to assess their individual risk levels
• Universities provide legal resources and counseling support while encouraging compliance with all laws and regulations rather than resistance to administrative policies
• Most affected students remain too scared to speak publicly about their situations, suggesting the policy creates broader intimidation effects beyond direct enforcement actions
• Despite institutional support from professors, administrators, and local communities, the federal policy environment overshadows positive campus experiences
• The contrast with historical openness becomes stark when considering presidents like Carter welcomed 100,000 Chinese students when Deng Xiaoping requested 5,000
• Even during the Cold War with a much less open China, Republican and Democratic presidents welcomed Chinese students as part of broader diplomatic strategy

This policy shift represents a fundamental departure from decades of bipartisan support for educational exchanges as tools of American influence and relationship building.

STEM Supremacy: The Cultural Architecture of Chinese Education

China's massive production of technical talent reflects educational system design rooted in Soviet planning models and cultural preferences for quantifiable skills over liberal arts education.

• Chinese universities adopt Soviet-influenced specialized institution models with dedicated schools for specific technical fields like Beijing Aeronautics University for space technology
• The cultural maxim "if you learn mathematics, physics, and chemistry, you can go everywhere and do well" continues to drive educational choices and parental expectations
• State control of universities enables systematic coordination of STEM education at massive scale, unlike privately-run American institutions with diverse missions
• Wang's mother dismissed finance and journalism as not "real professions," reflecting broader cultural skepticism about non-technical career paths
• The sheer population of 1.4 billion people naturally produces enormous absolute numbers of STEM graduates even without considering percentage differences
• China's transition economy legacy from 1978 reforms maintains emphasis on technical skills needed for industrial development over liberal arts exploration
• College entrance examination systems reinforce technical subject prioritization through scoring mechanisms that favor mathematical and scientific competencies
• Recent shifts toward "hard tech" over consumer internet reflect policy preferences for productivity-enhancing technologies rather than lifestyle convenience applications

This systematic approach to technical education produces talent pools that American universities actively recruit while American policy makers simultaneously view as threats.

Normalizing China: Politics, Competition, and Human Nature

Wang's work translating Chinese discourse aims to correct American perceptions of China as a monolithic system by revealing internal complexity, competition, and normal governmental dysfunction.

• China operates with typical governmental politics between different departments and ministries, including competition between agencies and individuals within single departments
• The Chinese government demonstrates both long-term planning capability (Made in China 2025) and short-sighted decision-making, reflecting normal human institutional behavior
• Private companies generate over half of China's GDP, taxation, and employment according to the "56789" formulation, contradicting perceptions of total state control
• Chinese leaders make "stupid mistakes" alongside good accomplishments, displaying typical human governmental characteristics rather than superhuman strategic coordination
• Policy implementation varies significantly across regions and sectors, with local officials interpreting central directives through their own priorities and constraints
• Five-year plans provide general direction but require continuous adaptation and modification based on changing circumstances and implementation challenges
• The Communist Party maintains significant power over society compared to Western systems while still operating within constraints of economic reality and bureaucratic competition
• Understanding Chinese governance requires recognizing both its authoritarian characteristics and its normal governmental inefficiencies and internal conflicts

This "normalization" approach helps American audiences understand China as a complex society rather than an incomprehensible alien system operating by completely different rules.

The Private Revolution: How State Protection Failed Chinese Auto Giants

The electric vehicle transformation reveals how private Chinese companies succeeded where state-protected enterprises failed, challenging assumptions about the effectiveness of industrial planning.

• Traditional Chinese automobile companies benefited from joint venture requirements forcing foreign manufacturers into 51% Chinese-controlled partnerships for decades
• Despite preferential access to foreign technology, state subsidies, and market protection, established Chinese auto companies are falling behind in the EV transition
• New private companies like BYD and Xiaomi lead China's EV boom without legacy advantages, succeeding through innovation and market competition rather than government support
• The joint venture policy arguably worked by ensuring only Chinese companies could develop complete domestic market agility while foreign companies remained constrained
• State-run automobile giants that partnered with BMW, Mercedes, and other international brands cannot compete effectively with nimble private startups
• This pattern demonstrates that private ingenuity and competitive markets drive innovation more effectively than state coordination and protected market access
• The "spectacularly competitive and innovative" environment of Chinese private enterprise contrasts with American perceptions of centralized state control
• Policy success requires distinguishing between frameworks that enable private competition versus direct state intervention in specific business decisions

The EV transformation illustrates how market forces ultimately determine winners even within systems designed to privilege state-connected enterprises.

Career Evolution: From Finance Dreams to Hard Tech Reality

The changing aspirations of Chinese students reflect broader economic transitions and policy priorities that emphasize productive technology over financial engineering.

• In the 1990s and early 2000s, top Chinese students aspired to work at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, viewing international finance as the pinnacle of career success
• Wang graduated in 2011 when finance remained the most prestigious and financially rewarding career path for ambitious Chinese graduates
• Recent wage cuts in Chinese financial services and increased emphasis on productive technology have shifted student preferences away from finance careers
• The distinction between consumer internet applications (easier delivery) and productivity-enhancing technology (medical diagnosis) reflects policy preferences for substantial economic impact
• "Hard tech" careers that boost industrial productivity and solve real problems receive greater social recognition than applications focused on consumer convenience
• This shift aligns with broader Chinese policy emphasis on technological self-reliance and industrial upgrading rather than financial innovation
• The change parallels American debates about the social value of financial engineering versus productive investment in real economic activity
• Chinese students increasingly view technology careers as offering both financial rewards and social contribution, unlike pure financial market participation

This evolution suggests convergence between Chinese and American concerns about the balance between financial sector growth and productive economic activity.

Convergence Theory: America Becoming China, China Becoming America

The observation that both countries adopt each other's successful policies suggests structural pressures drive similar responses regardless of ideological preferences.

• China implements consumer spending stimulus and social safety net expansion borrowed from American post-financial crisis playbooks
• America embraces industrial policy, strategic investments, and supply chain security measures traditionally associated with Chinese economic management
• Chinese market liberalization parallels American restrictions on Chinese investment access, creating policy reversals that swap traditional approaches
• Both countries recognize legitimate needs for supply chain resilience and reduced dependence on potential adversaries for critical goods and technologies
• The convergence occurs despite political rhetoric emphasizing fundamental differences between democratic capitalism and Communist Party governance
• Chinese officials recognize social safety net expansion as fundamentally beneficial for domestic consumption rather than copying Western models
• American industrial policy represents practical responses to competitive pressures rather than ideological conversion to state-directed economic management
• The "beating China by becoming China" phenomenon reflects adaptation to competitive realities rather than abandonment of core economic principles

This convergence suggests that global competitive pressures force similar policy responses regardless of domestic political systems or ideological commitments.

The Soft Power Catastrophe: Abandoning People-to-People Diplomacy

The crackdown on Chinese students represents a strategic abandonment of soft power tools that historically prevented catastrophic miscalculations between major powers.

• Chinese leadership openly receives American non-governmental visitors including former Goldman Sachs CEO John Thornton and Harvard's Graham Allison, with meetings officially reported
• Xi Jinping meets with dozens of American and European company CEOs, legitimizing Western business engagement through public diplomatic recognition
• The US government reportedly meets privately with Chinese non-governmental actors but refuses to publicize these interactions, delegitimizing such exchanges
• Historical precedent shows American willingness to convert Boxer Rebellion reparations into scholarship programs during early 1900s "money diplomacy"
• The principle of "keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer" suggests benefits from understanding potential adversaries through educational exchanges
• Students represent innocent participants being made "pawns" in strategic rivalry despite their non-involvement in military or strategic competition
• People-to-people exchanges provide communication channels and relationship foundations that prevent miscalculation during crisis periods
• The policy creates asymmetric treatment where China welcomes American visitors while America restricts Chinese participation, weakening American influence

This abandonment of soft power tools reflects short-term security concerns overriding long-term strategic relationship management and influence building.

The Innovation Paradox: Why Restricting Chinese Companies Hurts American Interests

Wang argues that American restrictions on successful Chinese private companies undermines forces that would naturally align China with international norms and market systems.

• Companies like Huawei initially competed against European suppliers rather than receiving government support, succeeding through market competition before gaining strategic importance
• Successful Chinese private companies create career paths and financial rewards outside state apparatus, providing alternatives to government-controlled employment
• These companies naturally comply with international sanctions to maintain global market access, supplier relationships, and partnership opportunities
• International exposure through successful private companies helps align China with globalization processes and rule-based international order requirements
• Restrictions on Chinese companies strengthen state control by eliminating private sector alternatives and forcing economic activity back toward government coordination
• The persecution of Huawei and similar companies represents a "strategic mistake" that weakens market-oriented forces within Chinese society
• Private companies that succeed internationally become advocates for open markets, international standards, and rule-of-law systems
• American policy inadvertently strengthens exactly the centralized control systems that it claims to oppose by eliminating successful private sector alternatives

This analysis suggests that supporting successful Chinese private companies could advance American interests better than restricting them would.

Zichen Wang's exit interview reveals the complexity of US-China relations through the lens of someone who has experienced both systems firsthand. His perspective challenges common American assumptions about Chinese society while acknowledging legitimate competitive concerns. The conversation illustrates how policy choices around student exchanges, business relationships, and diplomatic engagement will shape the trajectory of the world's most important bilateral relationship during a period of unprecedented global challenges.