2026 Future of U.S. and China Conference: Debunking the U.S.-China Race for Technology

Описание: San Francisco, January 22, 2026–This session is moderated by Mark Cohen, Senior Tech Fellow, Asia Society Northern California; Director of the Asia Intellectual Property and Technology Project, Berkeley Law (2016-2023), and features speakers Frances Hisgen, Senior Research Program Manager, Program on the US, China, and the World, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Paul Triolo, Partner, DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group; Honorary Senior Fellow on Technology, Asia Society Policy Institute, Center for China Analysis; and Denis Simon, Non-Resident Fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Bank of America Chaired Visiting Professor, Schwarzman College.

The discussion challenges simplistic, zero-sum narratives of U.S-China technological competition. Panelists share a broad agreement that data-driven approaches and the respective roles of governments and markets are reshaping innovation ecosystems, though the long-term implications remain uncertain. Simon highlights China’s rapid expansion in R&D spending, STEM education, and talent development, alongside declining Chinese student enrollment in the United States and reduced bilateral research collaboration. Triolo frames technology competition as simultaneously economic, geopolitical, and security-focused, warning that export controls and fragmented governance, particularly in AI, may impoverish innovation while failing to keep pace with technological advances. Hisgen underscores the chilling effects of heightened security rhetoric and administrative burdens on international scientific collaboration, cautioning against unexamined assumptions about IP theft and loyalty that could damage U.S. research leadership.

The session concludes with a call for more nuanced policy tools, updated IP frameworks, cooperation with allies, and carefully designed avenues for secure yet meaningful collaboration. The U.S-China technology relationship is not a race with a single finish line but an ongoing, deeply interconnected, global challenge.



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