London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Former Google CEO and others want action on ‘asymmetric competition’ from China

Former Google CEO and others want action on ‘asymmetric competition’ from China

Report calls for determined action to tackle tech competition with China and says a certain amount of ‘bifurcation’ is inevitable.
An American group led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has produced a report that says Washington needs to manage “asymmetric competition” with China when it comes to technology and that a certain degree of “bifurcation” would be in US interests.

“America’s technological leadership is fundamental to its security, prosperity, and democratic way of life. But this vital advantage is now at risk, with China surging to overtake the United States in critical areas,” says the report by the China Strategy Group (CSG), a collection of influential US tech practitioners and policy researchers. “Urgent policy solutions are needed to renew American competitiveness and sustain critical US technological advantages.”

The CSG, formed in July 2020 to tackle “the most difficult questions regarding US competitiveness with China on technology” also includes Jared Cohen, the chief executive of Jigsaw and a former adviser to former US secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton. “Urgent policy solutions are needed to renew American competitiveness and sustain critical US technological advantages,” says the report, whose authors are writing in a personal capacity.

“China plays by a different set of rules that allow it to benefit from corporate espionage, illiberal surveillance, and a blurry line between its public and private sector,” the report says.

Other authors include Liz Economy, a senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Richard Fontaine, the chief executive at the Centre for a New American Security,

While it is not known whether the new Biden administration will accept the report’s recommendations, which include forming a diplomatic alliance of “techno-democracies” and creating new offices like a deputy national security adviser for technology within the White House, its publication reflects broad-based recognition in US policy circles that Washington must develop a systematic approach to dealing with competition from China.

“As we seek to avoid unnecessary and counterproductive levels of separation, we should also recognise that some degree of disentangling is inevitable and preferable,” the report says. “In fact, trends in both countries – and many of the tools at our disposal – inherently and necessarily push toward some kind of bifurcation.”

Technology rivalry between China and the US intensified during the Trump administration, as the US government restricted China’s access to advanced US-origin technology as well as increased scrutiny of Chinese scientists and researchers on the grounds of national security.

The restrictions have deprived some of China’s leading tech firms, such as Huawei Technologies Co, of critical components such as chips and software, and prompted Beijing to redouble self-sufficiency efforts in core science areas.

The report says that Trump administration policies “have done little to arrest America’s eroding technological advantages” and China “is in a highly competitive position in several critical technologies, with massive investment driving its efforts to indigenise production and eventually supplant US technological dominance, though it currently remains dependent on the United States and allies in key areas”.

It indicated that the US has led in areas like artificial intelligence, fusion, quantum computing and autonomous vehicles. But China also has competitive advantages stemming from its greater domestic market scale, flexible regulatory environment and “faster product integration loop”.

Avoiding the word “decoupling”, the report suggests that the US government restructure the executive branch, to implement new talent and immigration policies, to pull in public and private resources to support key technologies of the future and forge new partnerships.

The US needs to build an “education system that prepares researchers for industry roles”, such as investing more in science and technology education and “addressing the current bottlenecks in immigration policy” to cope with the declining stay rates of foreign talent.

The researchers also propose certain benchmarks for Washington to decide the “technological battlegrounds”, such as whether the technologies are “choke point” ones or whether they pose direct national security threats to the US. Gene editing and next-generations chips, for instance, would fit this bill, says the report.

The report states that internet platforms should be analysed via two angles – their strategic implication and commercial value. Search engines, social networking, mobile app stores and messaging apps, for instance, all have high strategic and commercial value whereas video games and e-commerce, while big revenue-earners, are low on strategic significance.

The authors did not mention any particular internet platforms by name. The Trump administration has targeted global short video hit TikTok and Tencent Holdings’ super app WeChat, which has a huge user base in China.

The researchers argue that banning platforms should be a “last resort” because such action could trigger retaliation by Beijing that only harms US interests. Instead, Washington should try alternative approaches, such as “acceptance of dependency on a Chinese platform” if that platform can meet certain requirements, concessions negotiated with the Chinese government or apply technologies to mitigate potential risks.

Jing Vivian Zhan, an associate professor at the department of Government & Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said there is strong support in the US for being tough on China and stopping the country’s technological development.

China will need to respond, says Zhan, by boosting investment in science and technology, luring global talent and improving its higher education system to foster innovation.

Wang Yong, an international relations professor at Peking University, said that China has learned a costly lesson over the last four years, namely that “the US is a very unreliable supplier of hi-tech technology and key technical components”.

“It’s difficult to count on the US. As such, China must have independent and innovative strength,” said Wang.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
×