Description
In 2022 the world began to realise the dependence of both the US and China on certain key high-tech products, most notably microchips made in Taiwan. Although this issue was made headlines and became a cause célèbre, it is easy to overlook the reality that the US and China have been competing in some high-tech areas for decades – space, telecommunications, and applications. What was seemingly different about microchips was the ‘interdependence’ that it highlighted. Hence, although talk of a new Cold War was rife, the central defining feature ‘separate spheres of influence’ may be missing.
In this paper, I explore some of the dynamics that sit behind the scenes of the tech war: creativity and innovation and I ask the question: what does China’s ability to be creative and innovate tell us about the unfolding technology war? In this paper, I start by drawing on history and education in relation to ‘how people think’ and ‘what people learn’ and I consider these as essential pointers in understanding processes of innovation and creativity. I also reflect back on other technology wars and outline the importance of innovation and creativity in both their initiation and their conclusion. Finally, I make an argument about what sources of China’s (and the US’s) innovation and creativity might mean for the unfolding tensions.
