Sourabh Gupta, Head of Trade 'n Technology Program, Institute for China-America Studies

Kei Koizumi, Ex-Special Assistant to the President at Office of Science and Technology Policy

Caroline S. Wagner, Professor, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, Ohio State University

William Hannas, Professor and Lead Analyst, Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Georgetown University

Denis Fred Simon, President, Alliance of Global Talent Organizations

Hosted by the Institute for China-America Studies and World Salon

The U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement (STA), renewed by the Biden administration in late 2024, continues to provide a foundational framework for bilateral scientific cooperation and competition. The latest renewal introduces significant revisions aimed at addressing strategic concerns, particularly by restricting collaboration primarily to basic research. Sensitive technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology are explicitly excluded. reflecting growing U.S. apprehensions about technological transfer, espionage, and national security risks.

Emerging challenges since the STA’s renewal highlight intensified geopolitical tensions. The Biden administration has further tightened export controls and investment regulations, particularly affecting advanced technologies, thus constraining opportunities for collaborative research. This cautious climate has dampened academic exchanges and industry partnerships, leading to an increasingly guarded environment characterized by mutual suspicion and scrutiny of scientific interactions. 

The outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, resulting in the return of Donald Trump to office in 2025, introduces additional uncertainty into the future of U.S.-China scientific engagement. Trump’s campaign emphasized a more stringent approach to China, advocating decoupling in strategic technology areas, increased oversight of Chinese scholars in the U.S., and diminished support form multilateral scientific efforts. Under his administration, there is an expectation of renewed restrictive measures that could further limit bilateral cooperation in science and technology.