Analysts and university leaders say recent US policies aimed at restricting Chinese student and researcher access threaten to accelerate a migration of top talent into China’s expanding research ecosystem. The critique argues that excluding international scholars will not prevent scientific progress — it will redirect it. The concern touches admissions, lab staffing, and long‑term research competitiveness: Chinese institutions are building capacity and incentives to retain top talent, so US policies that curtail access risk weakening university research programs and collaborations over time.