The U.S. security dialogue surrounding China and technology has begun to revolve around a small set of headline-generating topics: the threat of a particular Chinese-owned video app, the battle over 5G, or whether the potential risks of high-skilled immigration outweighs the benefit. But many of the most important questions about U.S. strategy towards China on technology have continued to go unanswered: How do we know if a digital platform is worth our attention and focus? What would it take to build a more resilient supply chain? How do we actually win the brain drain wars?

In this project, we have attempted to bring discipline and structure to a dialogue that has become disordered, panicked, and reactionary. Rather than relying on broad strokes assessments about the wisdom of “decoupling” (an often-imprecise term that does not appear in this paper), we have undertaken the more focused task of building—from the ground up—processes, frameworks, and criteria for zeroing in on the technologies that matter and designing a strategy to navigate the risks they pose. Rather than focus on retrospective diagnosis or vague prescriptions, we have attempted to provide a clear, actionable blueprint for sound policy and strategy-formulation. Instead of reassuring ourselves of U.S. technological primacy, our assessments are made with a clear-eyed recognition of the asymmetries that complicate our relationship and weaken the U.S. position.

In undertaking this effort, we took as a given that this strategy would need to be informed by those who are on the frontlines of technological research and innovation—those who understand firsthand the nuances of how technology is built, as well as the set of research and commercial ties that connect, and at times limit, technological interchange between the United States and China. We hope that the resulting work makes clear the value of formulating strategy with that expertise, reinforcing the importance of building connective tissue between policy leadership and day-to-day practitioners in the regular course of business.

Many important questions about our technological competition with China remain unanswered. We encourage decision-makers to leverage external experts and advisors as they plan policies and programs. We undertook the present task motivated by curiosity, a sense of service, and a desire to strengthen free and open societies. There are no doubt many more who are similarly poised to contribute.