Signal US, China and EU policy stances for 2026 converge on technology leadership and economic independence

Summary

The report finds that the US, China and the EU all put technological leadership and economic independence first in their 2026 policy stances. The US pursues company-led innovation through protectionism and deregulation, including the Stargate project to expand AI infrastructure. China is pressing technological self-reliance and domestic demand under its 15th Five-Year Plan, which reorganises industrial and technology systems. The EU concentrates on technology sovereignty through strategic investment while implementing the AI Act, the world's first comprehensive AI law. In November 2025 the EU also announced a digital simplification package that partly eases AI rules, showing a balance between regulation and competitiveness.