2024 Future of U.S. and China Conference: The U.S. and China Innovation Race

SAN FRANCISCO, January 18, 2024 – For the sixth consecutive year, Asia Society Northern California members and guests come together for a full day of live programming for their annual Future of U.S. & China Conference, part of its Seeking Truth Through Facts U.S.-China Program Series.

What role does innovation play in the prospects of U.S.-China competition and collaboration? In which industries does each country hold dominance? Expert panelists explore the latest innovative trends between the U.S. and China, spanning AI, EVs, sustainability, and semiconductors.

Joined to discuss are – Gary Rieschel, Chair, Asia Society Northern California and Asia Society Seattle (Moderator); Ganesh Iyer, Chief Executive Officer, NIO U.S.; Rui Ma, Chief Operating Officer, AlphaWatch.AI; China Tech Analyst & Creator of Tech Buzz China; and, KR Sridhar, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bloom Energy.

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[jimkuan]

Chinese innovation is OFF THE ROOF! Just look at their EV cars!

[benplumlee]

As a consumer see the many benefits of NIO battery swap. It’s the only EV that will have resell value. They will produce vehicles with a million mile lifespan. It’s inevitable. NIO to the moon! 🚀

[horridohobbies]

Historically, China has been one of the most inventive nations in the world. Just look at the long list of Chinese inventions going back several thousand years, long before the United States even existed.

It's true that the United States has been enormously inventive in the past century or so, but China has been far more *_innovative._* This explains China's tremendous progress over the past four decades.

Turbocharged innovation is the reason for China's spectacular infrastructure, especially in the areas of high-speed rail and bridge construction. It's the reason for China's dominance in the EV market and green energy production. It's the reason why China is building EMALS-equipped supercarriers, the only other country with this capability. It's the reason why China constructed the Tiangong space station, much to the shock and surprise of the Americans.

[alfong]

Great, informative and inspirational discussions, thanks.

[TimePeace]

When each individual sees other individuals as enemies, there will not be cooperation. When each nation talks about other nations as potential enemies, humanity will not survive the existential threats.

[TimePeace]

Asia Society is not about understanding Asia nor collaborating with Asia but how to preserve US's dominance over Asia (which of course also include India). This is the reality in the context of US-China tension.

This development is really unfortunate as US is in the best position as a hegemon to unify rather than to divide nations.

A divided humanity stands no chance against the existential threats of climate change, AI and nuclear obliteration. Innovations should not become a victim of geopolitics but a means to overcome humanity's threats.

[lagrangewei]

she kind of miss the question ask, he was asking about invention, not innovation. and to invent something you need 2 thing, one is a new understanding, and the other is a new capability. and what is not discuss is how China understand and codifies a national solution to these problem. on "new understanding" China pursuit massive development in hard science infrastructure, these are thing like fusion reactor, particle accelerator, largest DNA sample farm, most powerful wind tunnel, their goal is to gain new fundamental understanding, if you don't understand why something work or don't work that way they do, you can't invent new way of solving them, so they are providing the supporting infastructure to grow the knowledge of their talent to test and prove their theories. the other which is "new capability" come from from heavy invest in material science. knowing how something work but not being able to build it is pointless, so knowing how to work the material, create the material and what are the strength and weaknesses of material are important. every company do their own material science, tesla create it own alloy so it can be bend in the way they want to for cheaper production cost for example. however China has a national program to improve the material knowledge and availability to its industry.

the reason china hasn't done much "inventing" in the last century was because China was rarely ahead in either scienific infrastructure to be leading in understanding, nor ahead in material science to be ahead in implementation. its not a mindset thing at all, the concept and math behind spaceplane was created by the founder of the chinese space program, he publish that before he was exile to China, and he could not realise the spaceplane in China because China didn't have all the infrastructure to test his idea nor the material science to build what was outline by his math. that's just the reality and in the end it is US that build the spaceshuttle using the math he created.

chinese are not any less inventive than anyone else if they have the same resources, it just that China due to not having a post (world) war recovery as US and most western country refuse to recognise China for over 30 years after WWII, and so did not have the chance to be in the forefront. however time has changed, the government has the resource and will to develop hard science infrastruture and develop an accelerated program on material science. this is why China lead in battery, because now they have the material science to manufacture thing in the way they want. the linear blade batteries and sodium base batteries are both transformative invention. of course it isn't invention "yet" because the science was already understood, to go beyond what we have understood is where the hard science infrastructure come into play, and as they come online, they will not only give chinese scientist a new understanding of the world, but it would also attract top scientist to china and further improve it science output.

that's the game china is playing. I am surprise there hasn't been much discussion when these plans of the chinese government are quite public.

[ericid]

Who said China has no invention. China has many inventions before America appears in this world.

[aww]

Where would the us be without the chinese invention of ..gunpowder ...

[jsnjsn]

If China and the United States can work together and establish reasonable rules, it will benefit the whole world, but unfortunately the United States has become pan-politicized, many issues have been weaponized, and onlookers look ridiculous, but American politicians are very happy, making the geopolitical environment worse, hoping that this absurd era will pass quickly

[MH-pzwf]

A great morale booster for China strong team!

[LoonSengTang]

The People's Republic of China has manifested its knowledge about the basics of and the basis for unparalleled improvement in her socio economy while the United States is still stubbornly reactive to the calls by the PRC to follow the path of prosperity pioneered by PRC ie the matching of real holy spirited individuals with the the same type starting from the nuclear family community society state and civilization where institutions set the pace all the way.

[michaelsomething]

What does us lead in that china is not? I can only think of AI chatgpt, bitcoin users, and metaverse. I think biotech is one of the best in the world. And sales of US weapon and oil extraction are still the best in the world.

[TimePeace]

It's sad when people talk about innovations in the context of nations. That's the geopolitics of dominance, that US must dominate as a hegemony or be dominated. Innovativeness is a human attribute. Innovations are built on existing innovations. That's how humanity progresses.

[mistman]

4:45

I believe the speaker means patented invention when he talks about invention. He is right that most of the innovation do not fall under some IP regime.

[greenlandconsulting]

What a stupid group of panelist taking about technology without knowing technology

[michaeltse]

us and china ties bur got no chinese and 2 indian lol

[dr.zschanel]

Asian women generally have a better chance to earn a seat on the podium. Talking about progress.

[Mr-rocl]

btc Ai new energy everything ultimately is about energy

[pkwong]

Meaningless chat! Talking about the label AI is like talking about democracy!