What Eileen Gu and Gang Chen’s fates reveal about the ‘sin’ of being Chinese-American
- Freeskier Gu has been vilified for her decision to represent China in sporting competitions, while MIT scientist Chen was targeted by federal prosecutors under a programme to root out espionage
- The double standards applied to them because of their ethnicity hurt American interests – and advance China’s ambition to draw global talent
The divergent fates of these two accomplished Asian-Americans – born in the US and China – heralds a new era of international talent flow. Today, it is not necessarily the successful immigrant to the US who fares better, a situation which would have defied imagination a few decades ago.
Why is Gu seen as a traitor when athletes and coaches switch flags all the time? China-born table tennis players competed for the US in Beijing 2008. Canadian skater Vanessa James represented her birthplace in this year’s Winter Olympics but previously competed for the UK and France in international competitions. She is a British and French citizen and a US permanent resident.
It is not as if Gu’s development is entirely a result of her growing up in the US. In the capitalist country, it was Gu’s mother who financed her training as a child. The US does not have a unique edge in winter sports. Gu could have developed her skills if she had been raised in Norway or Switzerland.
First, there were other Chinese-Americans in China’s Winter Olympics squad, but none as successful and visible as Gu. They received scant attention. American-born and US-trained Hailey Kops represented Israel in pair figure skating, and few noticed. Even if Kops were to be as successful as Gu, it would be far less of a scandal – which brings us to the second point.
If US-born Gu had represented Canada or the UK, it would not have been such an affront. But Gu was representing an “enemy state”. Why are Chinese-Americans held to a different standard than other athletes with multiple nationalities?
Born half-Chinese, is Gu obliged to speak out against “human rights violations” in China? How come this does not apply to athletes who to compete for Israel, for example?
Perhaps the greatest criticism Gu has faced is for being financially motivated in her choice. However, don’t people migrate to the US to seek a better economic future for themselves and their children? So what’s wrong with some choosing to seek greener pastures elsewhere?
It is difficult, and presumptuous, to judge someone else’s motivations. But who can fault Gu for taking a path that maximises her potential – in social impact as well as economic value? She single-handedly propelled China to third place, surpassing the US, in terms of the number of gold medals at Beijing 2022. And monetary gains need not to be inconsistent with achieving the greater good. That’s the very basis of capitalism.
It would appear that Gu and Chen’s greatest “sin” is to be a Chinese-American in the current US political climate. They are judged harshly in ways that would not apply to their peers but for their ethnicity.
Such double standards hurt American interests – and advance China’s ambition to draw global talent. Chen previously advised his peers against taking the fruits of their research outside the US. After his ordeal, Chen said he is not so sure now.
World prosperity hinges on the US-China relationship. Not only can Chinese -Americans play a unique bridging role, they can often create the most value – for the world as much as themselves – by straddling both countries.
In the process of demonising China, US society runs the risk of vilifying some of its most talented citizens, who happen to be Chinese-Americans. While distressing for them at the personal level, the greater tragedy is their being held back from contributing their best in an unnecessarily dichotomised world.
Winston Mok, a private investor, was previously a private equity investor