A former senior U.S. official has sharply criticized the Trump administration's restrictive policies on Chinese technology, urging the current U.S. government to abandon protectionism and instead seek cooperation with China in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

Susan Thornton, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, voiced her concerns in response to the U.S. Commerce Department's latest announcement of tighter global chip export controls. The Trump administration has framed the move as an effort to "ensure the U.S. remains at the forefront of AI innovation," but Thornton believes such chip restrictions may do more harm than good.

Thornton said at a forum that the Trump administration's restrictions are not halting China's technological development, but fueling China's innovation system to accelerate research and development across multiple sectors. She noted DeepSeek as a proof of that momentum.

Thornton added that attempts to suppress Chinese technological progress are not only ineffective but also damaging. She pointed out that China is already close behind in AI development, and that shifting export controls will create uncertainty and disrupt global supply chains. 

Thornton argued that treating China as America's greatest threat and trying to block China from developing AI and general-purpose AI technologies are misallocation of strategic focus. She warned that sidelining China – a key player in the tech economy – could hurt U.S. businesses and damage alliances.

She said the U.S. cannot dominate the AI sector alone, and called for the U.S. to work with China to ensure AI serves the global good.