ALI Leads Discussion on U.S.-China Policy and Competitiveness

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ALI members only event
Attendees:

  • Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger

  • Congressman Rick Larsen

ALI hosted a discussion on U.S.-China Policy and Competitiveness with Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Rick Larsen, as well as thought leaders from business, think tanks, and civil society. The conversation explored how the U.S. can and should improve its global competitiveness and how engagement with China is necessary, even in the face of the relationship’s many complex challenges. The ALI conversation stressed the importance of increasing U.S. competitiveness in several ways, including significantly upgrading U.S.R&D and the importance of the pending USICA and Eagle Act legislation, improvements to the trusted supply chain, rebuilding our federal bureaucracy, and engaging our allies for sound digital and tech policies based on shared values. Participants discussed a number of aspects of U.S. competitiveness, including:

  • R&D: Federal R&D spending has declined over the past decade, but different models of R&D spending exist, including a large contribution from the U.S. private sector. U.S. federal spending in basic research is critical, given the private sector doesn’t engage in this area and builds on basic research. Participants also noted the large increase in the share of global R&D from China, relative to the U.S.

  • Supply Chain: the need to steer away from single sources of critical supplies, especially for medicines and medical equipment, while at the same time building out trusted sources of supply.

    • Regulation: In regulating key technologies, we need to be careful not to impose restrictions that will ultimately hurt U.S. competitiveness

    • Export Support: The U.S. needs to coordinate financial and technical support to help our companies compete with China in the developing world.

  • Climate: The U.S. and China must find a way to work together on climate change. This is a key existential challenge to the globe and to U.S. competitiveness, as was recently recognized in a recent Defense Department report.