labor - The shameless discussion on China's brain drain

I did not write directly about the report of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, saying that China is seeing a brain drain because so many well-educated Chinese go to the US and stay there. I have not seen the report itself, so I found it hard to comment on, but - like here on the China Law Blog - the issue is causing enough discussion.

I have added my opinion already in those comments, but as the discussion continues on the internet, I should perhaps tell it a bit stronger. I find it almost shameless on the part of the Chinese researchers to call what is happening a brain drain. Most Chinese go to the US because they feel domestic education is inferior to that in the US and they pick up both a decent education and working experience. Only a minority is coming back, but even that is causing a discussion in the US about a brain drain in the direction in China. That is equally shameless, as the make good use of the cheap academic labor China is offering, even though to offer a better education in exchange.

As one of the commenters notes:

Hmm... If American and China are both experiencing brain drain, we need to see if there is a brain black hole somewhere in the Pacific. ;)