Declining Academic Engagement Threatens U.S. Expertise on China

As the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary, it faces a shifting global landscape defined by its ties with China. In this extensive series, we explore the challenges and opportunities within that relationship—spanning technology to cultural influence. Here, Meredith Chen examines how declining academic engagement and rising tensions may weaken the nation’s long‑standing, experience‑based grasp of China.

Numerous scholars ventured into China, often traveling far beyond the major cities to reach remote county towns and villages by train, bus, or boat for field research.

They devoted months or even years to knocking on doors, sharing tea, sifting through archives, and interviewing officials and everyday citizens to cultivate a nuanced understanding of a nation undergoing profound change.

This period marked the reform era. As China reopened and the two countries’ relationship normalised after prolonged Cold War estrangement, American scholars gained access to a society that had been closed to them for decades.

Many of those who first entered China during that era later became the cornerstone of U.S. expertise on the country, shaping academic discourse, training new generations, and influencing Washington’s approach to Beijing.

As the United States observes its 250th anniversary, however, this intellectual tradition is now under strain.

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