Dave McCormick: US Must Block China’s Access to American Innovation

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By TRH World Desk

Speaking at the Hudson Institute, the US senator argued that American strength at home, aligned allies and restrictions on China’s access to US innovation are key to winning the strategic competition for global leadership.

New Delhi, October 18, 2026 — The United States must strengthen its domestic economic and military capabilities, coordinate with like-minded allies and restrict China’s access to American innovation to maintain its global leadership, Senator Dave McCormick said at the Hudson Institute.

“If I could have our hand of cards or China’s hand of cards in this existential race for leadership, I’d take our hand anytime,” McCormick said, expressing confidence in America’s advantages in the strategic competition with Beijing.

However, he cautioned that the outcome would depend on the choices Washington makes at home and in its foreign policy.

“The ingredients for our leadership in the world are within our borders,” he said, arguing that the starting point for American leadership was a commitment to national values, economic power and independence, and military capabilities that could project “peace through strength”.

McCormick said the United States needed to invest in core capabilities and ensure that the current period of transformation created opportunities for Americans. He also criticised what he described as “crazy socialist ideas”, presenting domestic economic strength as central to sustaining America’s international position.

McCormick identified aligned allies as the second major pillar of American leadership. Referring to his meetings with officials in Japan and South Korea, he said his discussions had reinforced his views on the importance of cooperation with partners who shared Washington’s strategic vision.

His third principle was to deny China access to the American innovation ecosystem.

“We have to deny China the access to the innovation machine that we have here in America, which has been the source of much of their innovation,” he said.

The remarks place technological competition alongside military strength and alliances as central elements of Washington’s approach to China. They also underline the importance McCormick attaches to protecting the United States’ domestic innovation capabilities from strategic competitors.

McCormick argued that a clear assessment of China as an adversary, combined with a commitment to military strength, could provide the most stabilising path for the international system.

“The commitment to military strength is the path to peace,” he said.

He added that Washington needed clarity about the stakes and the identity of its strategic adversary to confront the challenge in a way that ultimately promoted global stability.

His remarks outlined a three-part approach: strengthening America at home, working with aligned allies and limiting China’s access to US technological innovation. Together, these priorities reflect his view that the contest for global leadership will depend not only on military power but also on economic resilience, technological advantage and international partnerships.