The altering landscape of US–China science collaboration: from convergence to divergence

International research collaboration has exhibited a significant trend towards convergence in recent decades. The US and China have notably intensified their collaboration across diverse scientific disciplines, solidifying their status as the leading contributors to global scientific knowledge production. However, recent reports indicate a potential decline in their collaboration, despite the overall trend of increasing global scientific convergence. Understanding the intricate interplay between collaboration and disparity within the US–China relationship is vital for academics and policymakers, as it can provide insights into the future trajectory of global science collaboration. Despite its significance, there is a lack of comprehensive quantitative evidence that captures the changes in their collaboration across disciplines and over time. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study examines the evolving landscape of interaction between the US and China over recent decades. This investigation employs two approaches, one based on paper identifiers and the other on researcher identifiers, both obtained from bibliometric data sourced from OpenAlex. Our findings reveal the unique and dynamic nature of the US–China relationship, characterised by a collaboration pattern initially marked by rapid convergence and a recent phase of divergence.