I don’t like this either. It falls under what I referred to as “highly controversial” choices.
But I also don’t doubt that if the coin was flipped, China would not hesitate at all to fire any non-Chinese person from such sensitive projects, and all without any outcry you would see in the West.
Racism against Chinese fuels Chinese patriotism and nationalism which is weaponised by the CCP.
I believe that a democratic China would still want to beat the West and become a superpower.