Midwest ag leaders warned to diversify exports, reduce reliance on China

More than 150 public officials, industry leaders and national dignitaries gather in Sioux Falls for South Dakota Trade summit

Michelle Bekkering, engagement director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, was joined by America First Policy Institute’s Steven Yates and  U.S.-China Business Council Vice President David Thomas during a panel discussion on U.S.-China relations Wednesday in Sioux Falls.

The United States is being outpaced by China in advancing new technologies, making it increasingly difficult for America’s economy to wean itself from the the authoritarian powerhouse.

That was among the messages delivered at the South Dakota Trade Association’s Midwest Agriculture Export Summit, which drew more than 150 from across the region to the Sanford Event Barn for a day-long brainstorming and learning session focused on diversifying regional exports.

Among the public officials, industry leaders and national dignitaries in the room were Michelle Bekkering, the national engagement director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a nonprofit organization formed by a coalition of American businesses and NGOs.

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During a panel discussion on the future of U.S.-China relations that included America First Policy Institute’s Steven Yates and  U.S.-China Business Council Vice President David Thomas, Bekkering said growing worries about the Chinese Communist Party undermining U.S. national security require America to regain its standing as the world’s leader in public investment into research and development. While the U.S. used to be atop the list of countries investing in tech and science industries, public investment into research and development here has dropped by a third in the past two decades.

“In that same period of time, guess who’s overtaken us on the world stage as the largest investor into R and D?” she asked the crowd, referring to research and development. “China. And they now out compete the U.S. as well as the E.U. in their total spending.”