I’m leaving China after 8 years. Suspicion of outsiders is rising.

Wall Street Journal: As a journalist, I felt the wariness building up. I covered science and technology, and over the years, various topics started to fall under the national security umbrella, including semiconductors and data. Some Chinese people who used to share their perspectives cut off contact with me. When China-Japan ties worsened, some Chinese people I was speaking with asked me to stop reaching out, citing worsening relations, or abruptly ceased communication. Increasingly, in interviews with Chinese companies with U.S. footprint, executives were doing gymnastics to avoid discussing any geopolitical topics…