A central dimension of US–China competition is the contest over innovation, production, and deployment of the most critical advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and semiconductors.

The United States has long dominated innovation in and production of many advanced technologies and has put in place a range of export controls and measures to impede China’s ability to catch up, including in its manufacture of advanced semiconductor chips. But in January, Chinese artificial intelligence lab DeepSeek stunned markets with an AI model that performed on par with global technology leaders, yet was apparently trained at much lower cost.

Almost six in ten Australians (58%) think that ten years from now, China will be more advanced at developing and using the world’s most important technologies. Only 12% say the same of the United States, while almost three in ten (29%) think China and the United States will be at the same level of technological advancement.

US–China technological competition