Tech Tussle: Chips, Containment & Industrial Policy

Technology has always been a force multiplier in geopolitics. But today, it’s much more than that. It’s a source of power, a trigger for conflict, and a key arena in the contest for global leadership. Nowhere is this clearer than in the intensifying rivalry between the US and China.

From tariffs to export controls, from AI regulations to investment screening, the two powers are locked in a battle, not just over who leads in technology, but over what technological leadership should look like. This contest is reshaping globalisation, redrawing alliances, and rewriting the rules of innovation.

But what exactly are the goals behind Washington’s strategy? How does Beijing see it? And what do these shifts mean for countries that find themselves caught in between?

On this episode of The Great Power Show, I speak with Ryan Fedasiuk, former Advisor for Bilateral Affairs at the U.S. Department of State’s China House and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Ryan brings a unique and thoughtful perspective to these questions, having worked at the intersection of technology and diplomacy.

We explore the evolving thinking in the US around technology competition…from Liberation Day to Geneva and London. We also look back at the policies adopted by the Biden administration, and unpack the logic behind industrial policy in both China and the US.

• Ryan’s Substack: Emerging Cracks in the China Tech Consensus

• CSET Report: Harnessed Lightning How the Chinese Military is Adopting Artificial Intelligence

As always, I hope you enjoy the conversation. Please like, share, and rate the episode. And if you’d like to support the show or the work I do, feel free to reach out.

About: The Great Power Show is a bi-weekly podcast featuring candid conversations and thought-provoking interviews with leading scholars, thinkers and practitioners on the geopolitical and geo-economic changes shaping our world.