WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Representatives Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) and Greg Walden (R-OR) published a new op-ed in The National Interest arguing that last week’s Trump-Xi summit should put artificial intelligence (AI) at the center of the U.S.-China debate.
They write that America’s competition with China will not be decided by trade or military strength alone, but by which country leads in AI, and whose values shape the technology the world uses.
While China is moving ahead with a national AI strategy, Reps. Sanchez and Walden warn that the United States risks slowing itself down with a patchwork of state regulations. More than 1,700 AI-related bills have already been introduced in state legislatures this year.
“Republicans and Democrats may disagree on many issues, but ensuring American leadership in AI should not be one of them,” Reps. Sanchez and Walden write. “If America does not lead, we will be led, and we cannot afford to let our rivals build our future.”
They call on Congress to codify the American AI Action Plan, build the energy and grid infrastructure AI requires, and keep the country operating from one national playbook rather than 50 competing ones.
The op-ed can be read here or below.
Trump-Xi Summit Underscores Need for Bipartisan Urgency on AI
By Representatives Loretta Sanchez and Greg Walden:
May 19, 2026
The United States must adopt a unified national strategy to outcompete China in AI and ensure democratic values shape the technologies of the future.
Last week’s summit between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping is a reminder that the defining competition between the United States and China will not be decided only by economic policy or military strength. It will be decided by artificial intelligence (AI).
As former members of Congress from different parties, we share the same concern: if America fails to lead in AI, China will gain a decades-long strategic advantage in national security and economic competitiveness.
Beijing has had a comprehensive AI plan since 2017, is committed to becoming the world’s dominant technological power by 2049, and is investing trillions to achieve that goal. In recent months, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched its 15th Five-Year Plan, which prioritizes AI as the key to strengthening its military and economy.
While Beijing advances a centralized national strategy, the United States risks slowing itself down with a fragmented regulatory approach. State legislatures have introduced more than 1,700 AI-related bills in 2026 alone. This growing patchwork of conflicting regulations threatens to undermine one of America’s most important strategic industries at a critical moment in its development.
AI Leadership Will Shape Economic Prosperity and Democratic Values
The consequences of falling behind in this technological competition extend beyond national security and economic gain. The nation that builds and deploys AI first will be better positioned to deliver its promise—new medical discoveries, stronger schools, safer communities, smarter transportation systems, and other practical tools that improve people’s lives.
This race will also determine the values embedded in the next generation of digital infrastructure. If AI systems built by China become the global standard, the world would use systems shaped by censorship, surveillance, and state control rather than openness and free expression.
America has the resources and knowledge base to win the AI race. But maintaining that advantage will require policymakers to treat AI leadership as a national priority rather than a partisan campaign issue.