China surpassing US in key innovation metric and evolving from ‘imitator’, Washington report says

Another challenge involving China, analysts said, is that its politics often drive tech policy, and Beijing can be adept at hiding weaknesses and avoiding transparency. This makes it difficult to assess how far ahead or behind the US is in various key areas relative to China. In addition, high youth unemployment rates and Covid-related disruptions have jolted Chinese companies and universities, as they have in the US.

“The US also needs to prioritise thinking through its own technology policies, both from an investment standpoint at home and making sure that we do stay ahead,” said Alexandra Seymour, a technology and national security analyst at the Centre for a New American Security and former Defence Department official.

“I don’t think we’ve suffered from complacency, but we have had an awakening that this is something we need to prioritise.”

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