The domestic narratives adopted by the United States and China in framing their technology competition reveal very different approaches and underlying strategic objectives.
At the forefront of this is job creation and economic revitalization. President Joe Biden has positioned the technology race as an opportunity for massive job growth and economic revitalization.
His prediction that a single investment under the Chips and Science Act would “create more than 70,000 jobs in both states (Idaho and New York)” exemplifies this approach. The administration aims to win broad public support for significant government spending on technology initiatives by linking technological advances to tangible economic benefits for American workers.
Closely related to this economic message is a framework of technological capabilities critical to national security and economic resilience. U.S. officials frequently draw a link between technological self-sufficiency and national security.
