Routledge China, the USA and Technological Supremacy in Europe (Rethinking Asia and International Relations)

The book explores how technological competition is linked to the geopolitical contest between the US and China, and why Europe and the European Union (EU) have become involved in this competition for technological supremacy. China’s political and economic rise, the concurrent US withdrawal from the region, and the rise of new technologies such as 5G, and AI creates a new and more unstable geopolitical environment in the region. In addition, the EU, far from being a global player, finds it increasingly difficult to play a leading role. The book analyses the nature of the ultimate goal of technological competition between the United States and China and shows how and why did the EU become the centre of this struggle. The author argues that the EU has become the new battlefield of the technological struggle since wealthy societies in the EU make this competition attractive and profitable to both the US and China. By shedding light on the geopolitical motivations of China and the question of whether the US can contain China’s advance in this domain, the book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of international relations and political science as well as policymakers and analysts employed by diplomatic services, multilateral organizations, and non-governmental organizations. Review "This is a great, exciting and timely book. Professor Csaba Moldicz gives a wide and substantiated panorama of today’s global geopolitical and geoeconomic competition between USA and China in which technological supremacy is destination and one of pivotal strategic "battlefields" is EU. Technology, perhaps, is far from omnipotent. However, its ubiquitously construed almighty invariably invites fierce contest which in our days is superimposed on the crisis of "linear-liberal" reading of globalization. And this contest itself does provide global tectonic shifts, ultimately not just technological, but systemic – socio-economic, political-institutional, cultural and axiological. Professor Moldicz’s angle of approach is unconventional and sharp. Righteously leaving aside purely engineering dimension he concentrates exactly on systemic issues of geopolitics and geoeconomics in the context of technological competition. The picture he draws is critical but realistic. EU appears as politically and culturally divided economic giant facing the imperative of multi-layered balancing¾ internal and external, economic and technological, political and axiological, trying to meet the ends of prosperity and security. Originality and sharpness of the author’s take derive from the fact that Professor Moldicz was born and works in Central European Hungary. Hence his perspective on the place and role of Visegrad countries is so penetrative and valuable. Highly global and highly compartmentalized World absorbed by online innovation strangely immature to settle its offline challenges. Simply a must reading for the scholars and students of IR and Global political economy." Mikhail Karpov, PHD, School of Asian Studies, Russian Higher School of Economics, Russian MGIMO (International Relations) University Senior Researcher. "Reading about technological race from a political economy perspective is an exciting adventure. Writing about it is a very challenging undertaking because of the complexity of technological development itself and the dynamically changing web of interests of international actors. This is especially true when it comes to China's technological rise and global competition. Professor Moldicz is undoubtedly able to tie the knot between technologies, economic implications in a geopolitical context. Moreover, his approach is impeccable, logical and easy to understand - a much appreciated quality when writing about complicated topics. Not only does the author provide a theoretical framework for the topic, but he has also been able to confidently select the most relevant case studies. Economic history is replete with evidence of