Washington: Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday that the United States cannot afford to lose its technological edge to China, telling lawmakers that maintaining American leadership in artificial intelligence has become a critical national security priority.
Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said the United States and China would remain strategic competitors for years, if not decades, even as both countries continue to engage diplomatically.
“China and the United States are the two largest economies in the world, the two most powerful militaries in the world,” Rubio said. “The Chinese government and the U.S. government have to speak.”
His remarks came during a hearing on President Donald Trump’s proposed State Department budget, where lawmakers repeatedly raised concerns about China’s growing technological capabilities and influence over critical supply chains.
Rubio said Washington was working to maintain “a period of strategic stability” with Beijing while recognising that significant differences remained.
“There are areas of our relationship in which we are going to have struggles not just for years, but perhaps for decades,” he said.
The secretary stressed that reducing dependence on Chinese supply chains had become a major objective of U.S. policy.
“The United States, and I would argue the world, cannot depend on one country for 90 per cent of anything, especially 90 per cent of things that are critical to our economies,” Rubio said.
He specifically pointed to critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and advanced technologies as sectors where excessive dependence could create strategic vulnerabilities.
“We just can’t live in a world in which we rely on anybody for 90 per cent of what we get in one sole source that could be cut off at any time as leverage against us or punishment, or in a time of conflict,” he said.
Rubio’s comments came during an exchange with Senator Pete Ricketts, who argued that Communist China was seeking to dominate artificial intelligence and advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Ricketts said Beijing was investing heavily in semiconductor production and warned that a Chinese lead in AI would be harmful to both the United States and its allies.
Rubio agreed and said Washington was working with partners to secure AI-related supply chains.
“AI will have very positive impacts on our economy and societies,” Rubio said. “It will also have some detriments.”
He warned that artificial intelligence could reshape labour markets worldwide, eliminating some jobs while putting pressure on workers to acquire new skills.
“There will be white-collar jobs in this country that will be impacted,” Rubio said.
He added that the consequences would extend beyond economics.
“That is a political issue that, over time, could destabilise societies all over the world,” he said.
Rubio also highlighted a State Department initiative known as “Pax Silica”, which he said seeks to bring together countries involved in the AI supply chain, including access to critical minerals and advanced technologies.
“I think it is safe to say the United States right now is a global leader on AI,” Rubio said. “I think it is also wise to say that the lead is not irreversible.”
The Trump administration has increasingly framed competition with China as a long-term strategic challenge spanning trade, technology, defence, and supply chains. U.S. officials from both parties have pushed to reduce dependence on Chinese manufacturing in sectors considered vital to national and economic security.
(IANS)
