China

20.4 percent of China’s population aged 16 to 24 years old (not including full-time students) were unemployed in April.

The preeminent foreign policy question facing the West for at least the next several decades will be what to do about China’s rise as a techno-economic, military, and foreign policy power. But as things stand, Western leaders cannot even agree on the premise of the matter.

U.S. foreign policy doctrine subordinates the goal of maintaining, let alone maximizing, America’s global power advantage. That formula will not succeed against the new China challenge.

The United States has fallen behind China in a wide array of advanced technology industries and is leading in several emerging ones. Atkinson will discuss America’s recent techno-economic competitive performance vis-a-vis China and how that necessitates the adoption of national developmentalism as the guiding framework for U.S. economic policy.

China’s economy is best viewed as a giant Asian Tiger. China’s great success stems mostly from its vast size and its use of the proven Asian development model. Claims that it’s mostly the result of exploitive and unfair communist practices distort U.S. priorities and policies.

China recently announced the creation of a new regulatory body to improve its use of data as a strategic economic resource. As part of ongoing efforts to promote China’s digital economy, the National Data Administration will work towards building smart cities, digitizing government services, and facilitating data-driven development. U.S. policymakers should learn from this example and strengthen their commitment to data-driven innovation and increase commercial access to data.

America can’t just pick up speed to beat China economically; it needs to slow down China, too, because there’s no use in accelerating when your adversary is along for the ride.

Defending Digital Series, No. 16: The recent congressional hearing about TikTok was a missed opportunity to insist that U.S. and Chinese companies be treated equally in both nations.

The recent alteration of the global geopolitical environment has brought into stark reality the weaknesses of long-running economic shifts (and proactive actions) that have favoured China—giving it market dominance and trade leverage throughout industries and supply chains. The future is going to be anything but certain, and Australia, the United States and their allies must be prepared.

Despite over a decade of policy debates and changes, the United States is still in dire need of tools to limit China’s ability to profit from industrial predation.