US must innovate faster to counter China’s tech rise, lawmakers told

A US congressional hearing on Tuesday urged the United States to innovate faster, smarter and better to counter China’s growing technological muscle, even as several lawmakers slammed the US President Donald Trump administration for policies they said undercut US national interests.The testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce comes as the two economic giants increasingly and aggressively face off over standards, economic models and Supply Chains, despite last month’s summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at easing tensions.“At this very moment, China has overtaken the United States in total R&D spending, while the administration has cancelled or frozen more than 7,800 research grants,” said Kathy Castor, a Democrat from Florida. “Even more concerning, our scientists are leaving our labs and increasingly out of the country.”