[patrec]

China does not need random US engineers. It needs a comparatively small pool of people who have the specific know how that China currently lacks and it can probably afford to pay them some large multiple over the US market rate. Why would a massive career and financial boost not be enough to sway a significant fraction of people driven enough to become A-players in their field in the first place, especially if China is clever about how it rolls out the red carpet for them and their families?