The 21st Century China Center, in cooperation with the U.S.-China Education Trust (USCET), has just released the results of a retrospective survey, Three Decades of Chinese Students in America 1991-2021. This joint report provides a uniquely broad perspective into the changing composition and experiences of students from China who have studied in the U.S. As U.S.-China relations become more tense, Chinese students are being caught in a web of suspicion from many sides.

The estimated 3 million students from China who have studied in the U.S. since the late 1970s represent one of the largest cross-border flows of talent in modern times. As critics in America continue to raise questions about the risks of educating students from China in our country, it is important to understand the long-term costs and benefits of this exchange. To better understand this group, this report widens the lens to ask questions of individuals who have come to study here over the years.