The Tech High Ground: Gaining Advantage Over China
In this Foreign Affairs article, Jake Sullivan argues that technology has become the central front in U.S.-Chinese competition, requiring a fundamental adaptation of American strategy. The piece challenges the longstanding assumption that China merely imitates Western innovation, noting instead that Beijing prioritizes production scale and control of critical inputs to translate technological advances into applied economic and military capabilities. Sullivan contends that viewing this rivalry as a race to a specific finish line is misleading; rather, it is an indefinite contest across multiple sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and clean energy. To prevail, the United States must establish simultaneous advantages in innovation, deployment, and supply chain control. The author emphasizes that success is not defined solely by beating China, but by fostering a robust techno-industrial base that enhances national security, drives continuous innovation, and improves domestic opportunity. This approach requires a consistent, bipartisan strategy that transcends individual administrations. Ultimately, Washington must secure these objectives to shape the global order while remaining open to cooperation on shared interests, preventing a destructive race to the bottom that harms global stability.
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The Tech High Ground: Gaining Advantage Over China
In this Foreign Affairs article, Jake Sullivan argues that technology has become the central front in U.S.-Chinese competition, requiring a fundamental adaptation of American strategy. The piece challenges the longstanding assumption that China merely imitates Western innovation, noting instead that Beijing prioritizes production scale and control of critical inputs to translate technological advances into applied economic and military capabilities. Sullivan contends that viewing this rivalry as a race to a specific finish line is misleading; rather, it is an indefinite contest across multiple sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and clean energy. To prevail, the United States must establish simultaneous advantages in innovation, deployment, and supply chain control. The author emphasizes that success is not defined solely by beating China, but by fostering a robust techno-industrial base that enhances national security, drives continuous innovation, and improves domestic opportunity. This approach requires a consistent, bipartisan strategy that transcends individual administrations. Ultimately, Washington must secure these objectives to shape the global order while remaining open to cooperation on shared interests, preventing a destructive race to the bottom that harms global stability.
foreignaffairs