Winston Mok

The View | 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

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Eileen Gu holds up her gold medal during the women’s freeski halfpipe victory ceremony at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Zhangjiakou on February 18. Photo: AFP

Winston Mok

Published: 6:45am, 9 Mar 2022Updated: 5:21pm, 18 Apr 2022

“Golden Girl” Eileen Gu did not disappoint, clinching two golds and one silver medal for China at the Winter Olympics. In contrast to the adulation she received in China, however, the freeskier was criticised in her birthplace, the United States, and even called out as “ungrateful” and a “traitor”.

Less noticed, but perhaps more important, was the recent vindication of China-born Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Gang Chen, a naturalised US citizen, when the US Justice Department dropped charges against him relating to ties with China. The China Initiative which targeted Chen will be discontinued and absorbed into a larger programme.

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.

Unlike the almost universal support Chen has received from Asian-Americans and fellow academics, Gu has faced broad criticism, partly shaped by the perception of her “selling out”. Her citizenship status will remain another sticking point, unless China revises its citizenship law to allow dual citizenship.

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Eileen Gu wins her second Olympic gold medal after dominating the half-pipe final

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.