In short: The Biden administration may have limited China’s ability to produce advanced chips, but according to an independent think tank, the Asian country is still ahead of the US when it comes to research in 37 of 44 important and developing areas. technologies, including AI, defense, and key quantum tech areas.
The Insider reports that the Canberra-based Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) believes that China has a “stunning lead” over the US when it comes to high-impact research in many critical and developing areas. technology domains.
ASPI lists some areas where China leads the US as defense, space, robotics, energy, environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and key quantum technology areas.
The think tank says that for some of these technologies, the top ten research institutions are based in China and collectively produce nine times more high-impact research papers than the second-ranked country, which is usually the US. What is more worrying for America is that the two areas where China excels are Defense and space-related technologies. ASPI wrote that China’s developments in hypersonic missiles capable of nuclear missiles surprised the US in 2021.
How far is China? Some of this is due to imported talent. The report notes that one-fifth of its high-impact papers were written by researchers with postgraduate training in a Five-Eyes country (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States ). However, much of China’s growth has come from the deliberate design and long-term policy planning of President Xi Jinping and his predecessors.
The short-term effects of China’s leadership may see it gain a stranglehold on the global supply of some critical technologies, while the long-term effects may result in the authoritarian state gaining more global influence and power. .
ASPI recommends that governments around the world work together to catch up with China. It recommends technology visas, ‘friend-shoring,’ and R&D grants between allies. It also noted the benefits of increased funding for these sectors, and suggested that governments consider restricting the movements of researchers who are experts in certain fields such as “recruiting personnel to lead the research program in, for example, technologies related to the defense of hostile states presents a clear. threat to the national security of the country.”
In related news, it was recently reported that Chinese companies are filling warehouses with chip-making equipment in preparation for further export restrictions in the US and other countries. We also heard that it plans to launch 13,000 satellites to suppress and spy on Starlink.