To beat China on tech, learn from it 

After four years of Donald Trump in the White House, it is hard to imagine that life for China’s technology companies can get much worse. During his time in office, Trump waged a relentless war against China’s global tech expansion. His administration used nearly every weapon at America’s disposal to pummel Chinese tech companies—such as semiconductor giant SMIC and smartphone maker Xiaomi—with executive orders blocking access to American markets, technology, and investment. 

Trump was particularly keen on kneecapping China’s tech champion Huawei. In a far-flung pressure campaign, Washington demanded allies and partners around the globe ban Huawei, and plowed through sanctions that cut off the Chinese telecom’s links with foreign technology suppliers using any American equipment or software. Even in the waning days of his presidency, Trump did his utmost to upend the company’s leading position in 5G — telecommunications technology that will revolutionize industries by allowing for rapid and seamless machine-to-machine communication, driverless cars, and automated factories. 

But the incoming Biden administration may not be China’s saving grace. President Biden is expected to maintain a hard line against Chinese tech, up America’s own game by pumping billions of dollars into basic research and development, and rally fellow democracies together to promote global technology standards on cybersecurity and digital trade. China’s tech companies may soon find themselves facing both Trump’s restrictions and new competition from an international tech alliance led by the United States. Yet if President Biden is serious about winning the race against China on 5G mobile networks and other new technologies, he will need more than the support of America’s traditional allies; he’ll also need to learn from China’s own global tech expansion and work closer with developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. 

In a new article for WIRED, DIIS senior researcher Luke Patey argues that the United States can learn from China by prioritizing the developing world in its tech engagement.