US Must Act Quickly to Counter China’s Growing Tech Progress, Lawmakers Told

Washington is being urged to accelerate its technological advances and slow China’s momentum or risk falling significantly behind the Asian giant, according to testimony delivered to US lawmakers. Analysts stressed that the window for action is narrowing, and that without swift, strategic measures, the United States could lose its competitive edge in critical sectors.

Proposed Strategies Include Expanding the ‘Silicon Shield’

Among the key recommendations presented to lawmakers was the expansion of the so-called “Silicon Shield” — an effort to exclude China from semiconductor supply chains — to encompass drone technology and other vital industries. Additional strategies included slashing bureaucratic red tape, increasing investment in emerging fields such as quantum computing, and countering Beijing’s aggressive push to establish global technology standards.

China Seen as a Systemic Rival on Multiple Fronts

Piero Tozzi, senior China director at the American First Policy Institute, told lawmakers that China seeks to challenge and displace the United States as the guarantor of the American-led postwar order. “We see them trying to set standards in the realm of technology. That’s true in telecommunications, which is why it’s important to win that race,” Tozzi said. “We even see them trying to reset standards with regard to human rights.” His remarks underscored the multifaceted nature of the competition, extending beyond hardware to norms and governance.

The source for this article is https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3360588/us-must-act-quickly-counter-chinas-growing-tech-progress-lawmakers-told.