Authored by Lawrence Franklin via The Gatestone Institute
Over the past 4 years, the U.S. and China’s relationship has been anything but cordial. Tariffs, lawsuits (specifically with Huawei), and the current ongoing pandemic have all left their toll on American-Sino relations.
However, perhaps the most defining moment will be the winner of the current “Tech War” between the two countries. The victor will likely control the global dissemination of information and also write the world’s rules and standards for emerging technologies in the digital economy.
Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) got the aggression started early back in 2017, where he outlined his plans for a “Digital Silk Road”. Xi was looking to gain an early competitive advantage in the emerging hi-tech disciplines such as AI, facial recognition, electric vehicles, and even self-driving cars.
China’s domestic implementation of its advances in surveillance to help mediate its own population has helped to refine its domestic facial recognition products, many of which have been sold to countries of Ecuador and Spain.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another emerging technology where China has been making inroads on the U.S. lead. In fact, the world’s second largest economy has mades it its goal to overtake the U.S. in AI technology by 2030. AI products have the ability to improve accuracy of missile defense systems or even assist physicians with surgery.
The main factors that are contributing to China’s breakthroughs in AI and surveillance include patents, investment, hardware, talented (and cheap) labor, and academic research.
However, the U.S still retains a major advantage in its semi-conductor chip technology, which are necessary in the final assembly of many electronic products. The Trump administration’s deconstructing of China’s Huawei Technologies from the American market has helped slow Beijing’s effort to catch up to the United States in semiconductor technology. This may also soon be the case in the UK. The electronic materials, such as chemical gases and lithographic technology, both of which are components necessary for the production of the most advanced semiconductors, can presently only be produced in Free World states such as the U.S., Japan, and the Netherlands.
The most severe manifestation of the current US-China tech war is its extension into space, developing into a 21st century “space race”. The historical space race with Russia (USSR back in 60s) was centered on reaching the moon, while the focus of the current US-China contest is in space weaponry and reaching Mars (and beyond). China has recently deployed the BeiDou constellation of 30 satellites, rivalling the United States GPS system, and plans to launch its own space station. Back in 2007, China also successfully executed an anti-satellite strike on one of its own aging weather satellites, showing its capability in space weaponry.
One of the final tech industries China is investing time and research into is quantum computing, a new technology with enormous potential for solving complex mathematical and scientific problems faster than today’s current computers. China has already demonstrated its ability to create unbreakable encrypted messaging, an accomplishment that could keep other countries guessing about a potential planned, secret Chinese military operation.
The U.S. still leads China in Research and Development (R&D) spending, but Beijing has made vast strides in this area in recent years to help close the gap. In order to keep pace with China’s all-out effort to dominate emerging technologies, a well-disciplined and coordinated approach by U.S. and EU governments in all of the key hi-tech areas mentioned may be a requirement going forward (Manhatten Project 2.0?)
The costs to the US of falling behind in such key infrastructure areas could well prove catastrophic, let’s hope they see the potential ramifications and adjust accordingly.
Works cited:
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-china-emerging-technologies-and-race-control-future