Defense & Aerospace Report DEFAERO Daily Pod [Nov 05, 25] Jim Lewis and Mark Montgomery on Tech Impacts of Latest US-China Agreement
Nov 5, 2025
Dr. Jim Lewis, a distinguished fellow focusing on U.S.-China tech competition, joins retired Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, a cyber defense expert, to dissect the implications of the recent U.S.-China trade truce. They discuss how the deal may impact technology exports, particularly in chip manufacturing. The duo emphasizes the importance of building a secure tech ecosystem with allies and argues that reliance on rare earth materials requires long-term planning. They also warn against misjudging South Korea's need for nuclear submarines, highlighting collaborative challenges in industrial efforts.
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Infrastructure, Not One Chip, Wins The War
- The global fight is about who builds the digital economy's infrastructure, not any single chip.
- The U.S. must control manufacturing equipment and alliances to sustain that infrastructure advantage.
Don't Export Chip Firms Or Fabrication Gear
- Avoid selling Western chip companies and advanced manufacturing equipment to China.
- Keep export controls on production gear while allowing some commercial chip flows under strict rules.
One-Year Freeze On New Trade Actions
- The US-China truce freezes new commercial actions, Section 232 probes, and China-specific origin rules for a year.
- That pause eases near-term tensions but sacrifices prior administration leverage on chips and critical tech.
