In Iron Man (2008), an American industrialist says to an Asian warlord, “Technology.
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industrialist → say → Technology
The Chinese had ships much larger than Columbus ever did, but culture got in the way.
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culture → have → way
Because aristocrats feared international trade would enrich merchants, the Ming Dynasty banned oceangoing voyages in 1430.
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Dynasty → fear → 1430
By 1500, the emperor made it a capital offense to build private ships with more than two masts!
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it → make → masts
As we contemplate the future, it’s important to remember this history.
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it → contemplate → history
As President Donald Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Washington, artificial intelligence sat near the top of the agenda.
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intelligence → host → agenda
Because of AI’s potential to affect everything, the AI race symbolizes the larger contest for technological supremacy.
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race → affect → supremacy
But while the AI discussion is so high-profile, a quieter and arguably more consequential race is unfolding in biotech.
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race → unfold → biotech
The United States has significant advantages.
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States → have → advantages
America’s research universities remain unparalleled, and our biotech ecosystem continues to attract global investment.
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ecosystem → remain → investment
These strengths are the result of decades of investment and a rule of law that spurs innovation because it protects investors and inventors.
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it → spur → investors
In China, bribery is simply the cost of doing business, whereas America remains the land of the free.
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America → do → free
Recently reinvigorated commitment — including over $370 billion in investments over the next five years — to onshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing underscores that these efforts remain in America.
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efforts → reinvigorate → America
But China’s government can move unencumbered.
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government → move → ?
Through state-backed financing and coordinated policy, China is rapidly building capacity in genomics, biomanufacturing, and drug discovery.
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China → back → genomics
Since 2022, the number of first-in-class drug candidates from Chinese companies has increased by 360%, compared with 100%-150% for companies in the U.S., Japan, and the European Union.
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number → increase → U.S.
Chinese firms are taking advantage of lower costs and fewer regulatory constraints to compete at the forefront.
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firms → take → forefront
But Washington’s newest idea for countering China’s rise threatens to make matters worse.
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matters → counter → rise
The Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act would grant the Treasury Department the power to restrict or even block American investment in China and other countries of concern in sectors deemed a security risk.
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Act → grant → sectors
The legislation was intended to target AI, but U.S. officials are now considering adding biotech as well.
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officials → intend → biotech
This would backfire the same way the Ming Dynasty’s ludicrous policy on ships backfired.
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policy → backfire → ships
If the COINS Act were broadened to cover the biopharmaceutical industry, American firms would lose access to licensing arrangements, collaborative research, and supplier relationships that currently let U.S. companies advance therapies rooted in early compounds discovered in China.
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companies → broaden → China
Far from putting China at a disadvantage, this would leave Beijing as the sole gatekeeper for those emerging treatments — putting the medicines American patients rely on at risk of delay or denial altogether.
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patients → put → delay
This would be throwing out the biopharmaceutical baby with the AI bathwater.
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This → throw → bathwater
For years, U.S. policymakers have relied on the idea that our market-driven system will naturally allow us to outpace competitors.
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us → rely → competitors
At the same time, this reassessment must not compromise the Food and Drug Administration’s decadeslong reputation grounded in rigorous science that has made us the gold standard for biomedical innovation.
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us → compromise → innovation
It’s a coordinated effort to address the unnecessary delays without sacrificing the standards that have long set the U.S. apart.
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that → ’ → U.S.
As lawmakers consider policies that serve to address biotech’s future, the goal should be to strengthen the innovation ecosystem, not erode its foundations — and that includes making sure tools, including the COINS Act, stay aimed at the technologies they were built for.
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they → consider → technologies
Last week’s summit is itself a reminder that leadership in emerging technology doesn’t happen by default, any more than sailing the ocean did 500 years ago.
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leadership → emerge → ocean
The next era-defining breakthrough did not dominate the summit agenda the way AI or chip export controls do, but its impact on American lives will be just as immediate and far more lasting.
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impact → define → lives
Whether the U.S. leads or loses ground will depend on the choices it makes today, starting with keeping the COINS Act focused on the race it was designed to win.
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it → lead → race
Weaknesses in this sector carry global, strategic consequences.
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Weaknesses → carry → consequences
We can’t let technology become our Achilles’ heel in this part of the world.
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technology → let → world
Jared Whitley is a longtime D.C. politico, having worked in the U.S. Senate, White House, and defense industry.
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Whitley → work → Senate
He has a Master of Business Administration from Hult International Business School in Dubai.
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He → have → Dubai
This year, the Society of Professional Journalists awarded him in its best columnist competition.
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Society → award → competition
The Aporia
