Scientists frequently take a global view and work with people who are in countries that are ostensibly competitors or enemies. The collaborators here work at T

Scientists frequently take a global view and work with people who are in countries that are ostensibly competitors or enemies. The collaborators here work at Tianjin University- a very well regarded engineering university which likely has some of the world's best material scientists. To me the closest analog would be England and Germany between 1800 and 1920. The two countries were intense competitors in science/technology/engineering, and it was typically rare for scientists in one country to be fully aware of what was going on in the other. However, the Dutch, who are between the two countries, played a key role in identifying and translating important scientific ideas, such as advanced microscope technology and the underpinnings of quantum mechanics. In short, many scientists are globalists, while the nations that house them are less so.