The President’s Inbox Are We Ready? | The U.S.-China Chip War, With Chris McGuire
Nov 19, 2025
Chris McGuire, a senior fellow for China and emerging technologies at the Council on Foreign Relations, delves into the intense U.S.-China chip competition. He discusses how advanced semiconductor chip denial might inadvertently boost Chinese innovation. The conversation touches on China’s strengths in areas like EVs and biotech, while emphasizing the critical role of AI in global power dynamics. McGuire also outlines the complexities of U.S. export controls, the need for allied coordination, and the pressing challenges in energy and talent that could shape future tech landscapes.
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Chips Are The Strategic Foundation
- Advanced semiconductors are the single hardest technology to indigenize and form the foundation for many other strategic technologies.
- Chris McGuire says China has struggled to indigenize cutting-edge chipmaking despite successes elsewhere.
China’s Fast‑Follow Playbook
- China excels at fast‑following: commoditizing and scaling tech rapidly across markets.
- McGuire notes Chinese firms use scale to commercialize products like EVs and drones quickly.
AI As An Inflection Point
- Advances in computing and AI may create an inflection point amplifying economic and military power.
- McGuire warns the country that capitalizes fastest could gain disproportionate projection advantages.