The United States has been warned of ceasing to be “complacent” and to engage with the world South to consolidate its foot in its growing technological competition with China.
Developing countries were to play an “increasingly critical” role in advanced technologies in the coming decades, and their links with China would probably strengthen, according to the Atlantic Council, a Washington reflection group.
“The United States cannot afford to underestimate the role that will be played by the world South to shape global technological competition,” said the report.
“Not to do so would allow China to advance its geopolitical, economic and technological interests in the world, allowing Beijing to shape the world’s unhindered global technological standards and norms, thus undergoing the interests of the United States and its allies.”
He added: “The United States cannot afford to be complacent in global competition in critical and emerging technologies. This will result in China (in three areas): geopolitics, economic and normative.”
The prices imposed by Donald Trump at the beginning of the month should bring a particularly heavy blow to developing countries if they come into force after the grace of 90 days on break that the American president later announced.