Could Silicon Valley’s lobbying create ‘mutual suspicion’ between US and China?

American tech giants are trying to tap into lawmakers concerns about China to secure favourable outcomes, some analysts have warned

The US tech industry’s increasingly hawkish attitude towards China has caused alarm among some observers who warn it could cause greater mistrust between the two countries.

The article said corporate leaders were “selectively” presenting information to tap into Washington’s concerns about China and “maximise” the chances of favourable policy decisions.

“The instrumentalisation of China-related issues in government-business interactions will further reinforce US misperceptions about China and intensify strategic mutual suspicion between the two sides,” warned the authors, Tan Yannan, a PhD student in international relations at Renmin University, and Sun Chenghao, a senior fellow of the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University.

The researchers said an “emerging” generation of American tech leaders had used their Chinese competitors as a “strategic lever” to “proactively shape the policy agenda” in the United States.