How to Aim for Longer Career Opportunities in the West

Spending a significant amount of time in China, or maintaining close and ongoing contact with Chinese nationals could make it harder to get a security clearance. Studying abroad for over six months may disqualify people from applying for certain roles in the Chinese public sector. The Boren Awards funding program lists China as one of the countries it prefers applicants to study in. We are uncertain about the extent to which time in China would damage someone's career prospects in governments and think tanks in the US and other Western countries. How you should prioritize between these depends mostly on your comparative advantage and personal fit.