WASHINGTON, DC – With increasing and public coordination of rivals – Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea – leading economic and national security experts gathered today to draw attention to how economic security is national security. Central to the discussion was identifying the significant risks if America doesn’t show up in the world and the impact on our nation’s security and economic interests. With a case study and insights from the technology sector, national security and economic experts lifted up pro-active initiatives to advance our nation’s interests.

This event was hosted as part of USGLC’s new Global Economic Hub, an initiative to deepen understanding of how economic security is national security and over 19,000 viewers tuned in to watch. Experts included Elizabeth Economy, Hargrove Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Peter Harrell, Nonresident Scholar of the American Statecraft Program at Carnegie Endowment of International Peace, Nick Bramble, Head of Trade Policy & Economic Opportunity at Google, and Josh Kallmer, Head of Global Public Policy & Government Relations at Zoom spoke on a panel about global technology policy moderated by Samm Sacks, Senior Fellow at New America & Yale Law School Paul Tsai China Center.

The event also featured remarks from Brian Cavanaugh, Senior Vice President of American Global Strategies in a conversation moderated by Liz Schrayer, President & CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

For more and to see the full program: Watch Here

“We have not even articulated for the rest of the world what it is that our vision is… the liberal… international order. How are we modifying it and its rules? How are we engaging? How are we bringing countries like Kenya to the table to help set the rules?… And to the extent now that you’ve got Russia, Iran and North Korea and China working in alignment… that game has become so much more complicated and really important for us to… step up and work,” said  Elizabeth Economy, Hargrove Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

“There’s an opportunity next year [for] how we better integrate our trade and our development policies… EXIM, DFC and AGOA are all up for renewal. Here’s a trade agenda, here’s how we’re going to fix and make even more robust these major development tools that will come together to really give us an opportunity to rewrite this narrative,” said  Peter Harrell, Nonresident Scholar of the American Statecraft Program at Carnegie Endowment of International Peace.

“I’m seeing an alignment. It’s an alignment against Western values and the outcomes that they think are going to favor a re-shifting of the global order… China, Russia, Iran and North Korea… work together to weaken the West, soften the U.S., and erode some of our values and our economy…The U.S. cannot afford to step back,” said  Brian Cavanaugh, Senior Vice President of American Global Strategies.

Speaking on the new Partnership for Global Inclusivity on AI with the State Department and eight U.S. tech companies, Nick Bramble, Head of Trade Policy & Economic Opportunity at Google, said, “That partnership with the State Department… is just one of many that we and other U.S. companies have done recently with U.S. government and with allies on the issues of AI and AI infrastructure globally… This is a great example of companies coming together.”

“We are devising smart global frameworks around digital and… comprehensive free trade agreements to open markets more broadly, creating opportunities for the entire economy. It’s for workers across industries in the United States to reach markets, to seize opportunities, and we’re enhancing our technological leadership that relates very directly to our national security,” said  Josh Kallmer, Head of Global Public Policy and Government Relations at Zoom.

“‘It’s the economy, stupid’ is not just a political slogan, but it’s exactly why we need to focus on American global leadership and economic security in the world,” said USGLC President & CEO Liz Schrayer. “With our global rivals increasingly collaborating to disrupt America’s economic dominance—it’s clearer than ever that national security and economic security are two sides of the same coin.”