As Joe Biden faces a China emboldened in its race to tech supremacy, what policies will he pursue?
- The new president will maintain US focus on key technology sectors including 5G, artificial intelligence and semiconductor production, analysts say
- Among those actions he may keep from the Trump years are a crackdown on Huawei Technologies and increased reviews of Chinese deals for US firms
As the Biden administration takes the reins in Washington, the stakes have never been higher for the US relationship with China and the rest of Asia. In the fourth part of a post-US-election series, Jodi Xu Klein explores what tech policies Biden will he pursue as he faces an an emboldened China.
In January, the incoming US president Joe Biden and his administration will inherit a list of White House policies that they will have to untangle – perhaps even toss out – to develop a cohesive plan to meet the challenges of a more assertive China.
Chief among them is an emboldened China that has its sights set on attaining supremacy in future technologies. Four years of the Trump administration has taught Beijing the importance of self-reliance, as Huawei Technologies was cut off from its American supplier, and Chinese telecommunications companies were barred from the US market.
Under President Donald Trump, the Treasury Department has restricted Chinese investments in American companies; the Commerce Department’s “entity list” has barred Chinese companies from doing business in the US; the Defence Department has kept its own blacklist of companies that are believed to be linked to the Chinese military; and the State Department has started a “Clean Network” programme to exclude apps and carriers owned by Chinese firms.
These measures by the US government, which justified the actions on national security grounds, further cemented Beijing’s resolve to enhance its tech capabilities.
In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping committed an unprecedented US$1.4 trillion over six years to help domestic firms develop 5G networks and artificial intelligence – support aimed at ensuring China’s expansion of regional and global tech influence.