The virtual Feb. 17 discussion was titled, “Is U.S.—China Trade in Telecoms and Information Compatible With National Security?”

Mueller, who also is director of the Internet Governance Project, co-moderated the discussion with Shane Tews of the American Enterprise Institute. Panelists were Andy Purdy of Huawei America and Claude Barfield, also of AEI.

“We debated issues such as whether the United States should continue to promote free trade in communication equipment and internet services, whether our confrontations with China are motivated by economic policy, industrial policy, or military strategy, and whether the U.S. government has been confused about that,” Mueller said. “We also discussed how U.S. technology policy can stop pretending that it’s the 1980s and recognize the inevitability of a strong and innovative Chinese tech industry.”