Shenzhen and Silicon Valley – The Competition for Technology Leadership: Keynote Address by the President of U.S.-China Business Council Craig Allen
Friday, May 3, 20244:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Pacific)
In Person: Koret Taube Conference Center, John A. & Cynthia Fry Gunn Building (366 Galvez Street, Stanford)
Online: Via Livestream
The Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions is delighted to present a keynote address by U.S.-China Business Council president Craig Allen, who will be speaking on Shenzhen and Silicon Valley – The Competition for Technology Leadership. The event will begin with a lecture by Craig Allen and conclude with a Q&A session moderated by Michael McFaul, Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and former Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014).
Since the May 4th Movement of 1919, China has been dedicated to advancing science and technology as the primary driver of national development. The current leadership of China is intensely focused on developing the “new productive forces” associated with innovation. China’s 2024 government budget increases spending on R&D by 10 percent, with an emphasis on self-sufficiency and corporate innovation. The Chinese government also currently deploys a vast pallet of incentives and industrial policies to advance the country’s innovation – often at the expense of foreigners. Its policies and vision have already changed the global innovation ecosystem in profound ways. In the future, Chinese individuals and companies will play a yet larger role in the global scientific and technological advancement. What role does innovation play in China’s development model, and how does it differ from innovation in the West? What does “digital Leninism” mean, and is it effective in practice? Why are the Chinese leading in numerous scientific fields, and where does China struggle? What are the rules of the road for either US-China technology cooperation or competition, and are the rules enforceable? How do we enjoy the benefits of S&T cooperation with China, while minimizing the risks of S&T inter-dependency or over-dependency?
Audience members are welcome to join in-person or watch online. For in-person attendees, a select number of seats will be available in the main event hall with additional overflow seating in a neighboring room where the livestream will be projected. The keynote address will be recorded and shared post-event.
Registration is required for in-person admission. No Walk-ins.
About the Speaker
In 2018, Craig Allen began his tenure as the president of the US-China Business Council (USCBC), a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing over 270 American companies doing business with China. Prior to joining USCBC, Allen had a career in US public service. Allen began his government career in 1985 at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) where he served as an international economist in ITA’s China Office. He served as the Senior Commercial Officer at the US Embassy in Beijing in 2002 where he was later promoted to the rank of Minister Counselor of the Senior Foreign Service. Allen then became Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia at the US Department of Commerce’s ITA and later became Deputy Assistant Secretary for China. Allen was sworn in as the United States Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam in 2014. He served there until 2018, when he transitioned to President of the US-China Business Council. Allen received a B.A. from the University of Michigan in Political Science and Asian Studies in 1979. He received a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1985.