Should the US Accept China’s Economic and Technology Rise?

Joe Biden’s election could reset U.S. policy toward China. One of the central questions facing the new administration and America’s European allies is whether to accept China’s seemingly inexorable rise as an economic and technological superpower, or try to constrain it. The answer depends on a number of assumptions, including whether China achieved its gains organically or unfairly, and whether efforts to hold back China—especially in advanced technology industries—are likely to succeed without imposing significant costs on the United States and Europe.

ITIF hosted an expert debate on these issues, featuring Daniel Gros, director of the Centre for European Policy Studies, who has argued that the United States must accept China’s rise, and ITIF President Robert Atkinson, who argues America and Europe must work together to constrain China, particularly its drive to dominate advanced technology industries.