Asia Times The coming technological cold war Opinion

Lurking behind the Trump administration's trade conflict with China lies an abiding fear that the United States could be losing its advantage in the global technology race. In US policymaking circles more broadly, China's "Made in China 2025" policy – intended to ensure Chinese dominance in cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI), aeronautics, and other frontier sectors – is viewed not just as an economic challenge, but as a geopolitical threat. Everything from US telecommunications infrastructure and intellectual property to America's military position in East Asia are considered to be at risk. The fact that technology is driving geopolitical tensions runs against the predictions of many scholars and policymakers. As recently as the mid-2000s, some suspected that geography would no longer play a meaningful role in the functioning of global markets.