The case for the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement

This week on Sinica, Kaiser is joined by Karen Hao, a reporter recently with the Wall Street Journal whose previous work with the MIT Technology Review has been featured on Sinica; and by Deborah Seligsohn, assistant professor of political science at Villanova University, who has been on the show many times just in the last three years. Both Karen and Deborah have written persuasively about the importance of renewing the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement, first signed in 1979 shortly after the normalization of U.S.-China relations under Jimmy Carter and renewed, for the most part, every five years without much fuss — until this year. Karen and Debbi make clear what has been accomplished under the agreement's auspices, and why GOP concerns are largely misplaced.03:45 – The origins of the STA and the reasons for establishing it07:34 – Criticisms against the agreement — the question of IP theft and PLA’s engagement17:53 – What is the real reason behind such a strong opposition towards the agreement?22:23 – How have the dynamics between China and the U.S. contribution to the STA changed over the years?30:36 – The consequences of ending the scientific relationship with China on the example of the terminated space exploration cooperation 35:23 – Which specific projects would be put on hold in case of lack of renewal of scientific cooperation with China?41:23 – Other scenarios for cooperation in the area of AI in the possible absence of the STA50:10 – Are there parts of the agreement that should be enhanced or improved?53:50 – What’s the chance for a renewal of the agreement after the six-month extension?A complete transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.comRecommendations:Debbi: Abortion Opponents Are Targeting a Signature G.O.P. Public-Health Initiative by Peter Slevin (in The New Yorker)Karen: Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity by Daren Acemoglu and Simon JohnsonKaiser: King’s War (Chinese TV series 《楚汉传奇》Chǔhàn chuánqí on NetflixSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.