Maintaining America's technological edge amid Chinese aggression

The importance of the United States maintaining its technological superiority over China cannot be overstated. Not only for economic and national security implications, but for the preservation of the values and principles that have shaped the modern world.  

China is hungry to replace the U.S. as the leading superpower, and not just to establish economic dominance — they also want to establish their version of suppressive authoritarianism as the norm across the globe.

The warning lights are flashing everywhere. From mass surveillance perpetrated through Tik-Tok to widespread cyberattacks aimed at American technology firms, China’s aggression only continues to grow.  Furthermore, China has been accused of state-sponsored interference in American elections and inflammatory attempts to exacerbate political division.

It's obvious to anyone paying attention that the CCP is waging a war of subversion against American values. At the same time, they’re investing massively in the technology sector to attempt to overtake the U.S. in fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and defense. 

Meanwhile, some lawmakers in D.C. seem determined to put up as many hurdles as possible in front of American companies. Overregulation, restrictions on affordable energy production, and persistent monetary inflation — to name just a few — are holding us back on our economic potential.  

And now, some in Congress want to put additional shackles on technology companies in a proposal to impose new anti-innovation regulations. The timing couldn’t be worse as we see China’s influence rising amid an increasingly chaotic world.

The technological edge the U.S. holds today is one of our greatest advantages. It has been instrumental in driving innovation, fostering economic growth, and enhancing the nation's military capabilities. But that competitive position has never been held so tenuously. 

We cannot take our advantage for granted. We must proactively foster an environment where innovation can flourish. To do that we don’t need the Chinese approach — with pervasive state intervention. Rather, we need to take a lighter touch to regulation and give room to our brilliant entrepreneurs to operate.

China's rapid rise in technological prowess has been accompanied by a growing assertiveness in its foreign policy and a disregard for the rule of law and human rights. This has led to concerns about the potential misuse of technology, particularly in areas such as surveillance, censorship, and cyber warfare. We’ve already seen these tactics used against American citizens on our own soil. However, these actions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to China’s capabilities.

Maintaining America’s technological superiority isn’t just about our economic and national security.  It is essential for the preservation of the values and principles that have shaped the modern world, the protection of individual rights and freedoms, and the maintenance of global security and stability.  

The U.S. must continue to invest in research and development, foster innovation, and work with its allies to ensure that the technological landscape remains one in which democratic values and human rights are upheld.  To that end, we have got to stop anti-innovation proposals that threaten our competitive edge, or we risk losing the global tech race to China.

Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, serves as the vice chair of the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.