The Landscape Of Global Technological Competition: A Us–China Bilateral Analysis

Abstract

This paper analyses the dynamic landscape of global technological competition, focusing on the strategic and bilateral friction between the United States and China. It examines critical socio-technical domains, including artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, quantum computing, 5G/6G telecommunications and green technologies. The study highlights how the contemporary technology sector is governed by market mechanisms such as the “winner-takes-all” paradigm, the global talent war and intensive patent warfare. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the shifting regulatory frameworks of the US–China rivalry, characterised by a transition from total embargoes to case-by-case reviews in the semiconductor industry, coupled with strategic countermeasures involving critical raw materials. Finally, it outlines the “dual-track strategy” employed by Washington and Beijing, which balances offensive geopolitical containment in strategic sectors with pragmatic, managed trade reciprocity and risk- mitigation dialogues in non-strategic domains in order to maintain macroeconomic stability.