"For decades, China has faced accusations from the United States and the European Union of stealing their technology."

It's almost like most of the western world outsources manufacturing to China or something...

It is perhaps ironic, then, that China is now taking steps to prevent its own high-end technologies and talent from escaping abroad.

That doesn't feel ironic. Especially when I would wager the west has done plenty of industrial espionage of its own.

This seems like a reaction to the economic situation in China and how the leadership expects it to unfold. That and wealthy Chinese people have been exfiltrating their wealth for quite some time.