Publications: Robert D. Atkinson

To beat China, the United States must better align university research with critical technologies and ensure it directly supports the needs of American firms. To do that, federal research funding agencies should prioritize university researchers who have secured financial commitments from industry.

The Trump administration will have to make a choice: Demand the removal of all foreign trade barriers or be strategic and focus on eliminating those critical to America’s techno-economic future.

Xi Jinping's accelerated timeline to dominate global tech-based industries appears to be a strategic miscalculation. The coming years will reveal whether China can adapt its approach or suffer the consequences of this high-stakes gamble.

Trump’s tariff revolution on Liberation Day was the wrong reaction, but it’s still important to understand the motivation for his action. Those in the current globalist establishment need to stop defending the last phase of their failed project, admit there are grave flaws in the international trade regime, and get on board with fixing its problems.

The Trump administration’s "Liberation Day" tariffs foolishly alienate allies instead of strategically targeting China, inadvertently weakening U.S. competitiveness and handing a win to Beijing.

In the Trumpian trade worldview, tariffs are not just a necessary economic tool to correct foreign nations seen as "cheating," but a patriotic mission to restore America’s economic sovereignty and punish the disloyal globalists who, in their eyes, have betrayed the nation.

Globalization 1.0 has failed, but protectionist autarky cannot be its replacement. Instead, it is past time to craft a new kind of globalization that advances U.S. interests in key industries and prevents China from becoming the dominant techno-economic power.

As the Trump administration seeks to rebalance America’s trade relationships, it should focus the most attention on countries where U.S. industries face the worst trade distortions and imbalances, and where the greatest gains can be achieved for the U.S. economy. China, India, and the European Union top that list.

South Korea risks harming its consumers, economy, and relationship with the United States by adopting Europe's flawed digital competition regulations.

The techno-economic competition with China is the most important challenge facing the West. The United States must pursue three critical technology policies to compete adequately with China.