To Beat China, US Should Stop Acting Like China
Sacrificing economic efficiency in a quest for absolute security is a losing strategy, whether for Washington or Beijing.
Who’s more pragmatic?
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
The US and China are both racing to insulate their economies from dependence on or coercion by the other, regardless of the costs. Whoever wins that contest might well lose their unfolding superpower rivalry.
China has led the way, prizing security above economic efficiency at least since President Xi Jinping took power in 2013. The government is pursuing a comprehensive program of “deleting-A” — removing or replacing US information technology in large state-owned enterprises by 2027. The country has also passed strict data security and anti-espionage laws that have made doing business difficult and potentially hazardous for foreign companies and executives.