Key facts
- Yuan Junying left Harvard University to take a position in China, according to the South China Morning Post.
- Yuan defended her US citizenship after winning a science prize at the World Laureates Forum in Shanghai.
- Online critics questioned her earlier decision not to return to China after studying in the US.
- The dispute has widened into a debate over whether senior returnees squeeze out young Chinese scientists.
Yuan Junying, a Chinese-American biologist who left Harvard University for a position in China, is facing an online backlash over her defense of her US citizenship, the South China Morning Post reported on November 11, 2026. The dispute has widened into a debate over whether senior scientists returning to China are squeezing out younger researchers.
Yuan drew attention in China in late October 2026 when she defended her US citizenship after winning a science prize at the World Laureates Forum in her hometown of Shanghai. "I've always said my blood is Chinese blood," she said, according to the report.
Critics online questioned her earlier decision not to return to China after studying in the US and said returning scientists take funding and positions from younger researchers. Supporters argued that scientific research crosses borders and that talent mobility is normal.