US Must Invest in Domestic Infrastructure, Innovation to Compete Against China: Blinken

Domestic renewal is vital to advance foreign policy, Blinken says on eve of vote on infrastructure bill

Secretary of State Antony Blinken (C) poses with a 3D-printed Seal of the Department of State as he tours a lab at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering with recent graduate Chinmay Sevak (L) and graduate student Nicholas Bentley (R) before speaking about infrastructure investment, in College Park, Maryland, on Aug. 9, 2021. Patrick Semansky/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The United States must prioritize investing in domestic infrastructure and innovation at home in order to compete abroad against foreign rivals, including China, a “rising power,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.

Blinken, speaking at the University of Maryland, sought to establish that long-term domestic investment is critical to strengthen the nation’s national security and foreign policy, saying it will help boost global competitiveness, strengthen U.S. diplomacy, and stand up for democracy.