October 17, 2022
Secretary of State Antony Brinken outlined the United States’ national security strategy at Stanford University on Monday to curb Russia, defeat China, and harness the power of technology in diplomacy.
Blinken had an extensive conversation with former Secretary of State and Director of the Hoover Institution, Condoleezza Rice, highlighting the importance of science and technology in the government’s efforts to modernize the military and advance human rights protections online.
“We are in a moment of intense competition that will shape what comes next,” said Blinken. “Technology, innovation, entrepreneurship – they are at the heart of it. This is how we reinvent our economy for the future, this is how we modernize our military.”
The conversation was part of the Secretary’s visit to California’s technology hubs, including a morning stop at Stanford University’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. There, they were joined by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Anna Esu, representing Stanford. He said the visit was a reminder of “America’s most positive role in the world” as an innovation hub.
Blinken then spoke with Rice at the Hoover Institution Hauck Auditorium for a public talk attended by a Ukrainian commercial delegation and start-up founders joined by students and members of the community. Shortly after, Blinken attended a state department campus recruitment event to encourage Stanford University students to bring their ideas and technical expertise to the department.
The Secretary of State previously traveled to Stamford in October 2021 to attend a reception for Rice and a memorial service for former Secretary of State George Schultz.
Blinken told The Daily that his priority is to work with universities and “use technology itself to address some of the downsides of technology misuse around misinformation and disinformation.”
“We are trying to build these partnerships [with universities] To make sure we’re really looking at all the places that are developing answers, including Stanford, and integrating that into what we do,” Brinken said in an interview.
Blinken cited a recent visit to Purdue University as an example of a campaign to foster collaboration. There, he visited the university’s microelectronics training facility at the Birck Nanotechnology Center and spoke with his community on campus about “building a semiconductor ecosystem to restore domestic manufacturing and international competitiveness.”
“This is a very important work, a work in progress, but I really appreciate that so much work has been done. [that] The idea is that it can actually be put to good use when dealing with this issue,” he added.
Modernizing diplomacy for the digital age is also a priority within the State Department, Brinken said. Mr. Blinken recently founded the Cyberspace and Digital Policy Office. It aims to help the sector organize and track talent and lead on issues such as climate change, health, energy and digital policy.
“Our livelihoods remain a matter of war and peace, we will help prevent conflicts from arising, we will help end conflicts as best we can, and we will ensure that the American people are safe through diplomacy, but these issues must be addressed.” Each of the is tied directly to it,” said Blinken.
When asked by Rice about some of the most pressing international issues, including the protests in Iran and Russia’s war in Ukraine, Brinken said he supports the resilience of the democratic movement.
He praised the grassroots nature of the movement in Iran, where protests against government violence against women have gained international attention. He said, “It’s about the Iranian people, their country, their future. They decide it, but we show our solidarity in a practical and rhetorical way.”
On the subject of Russian aggression, Blinken said there is a “Pandora’s box” that could be opened if the United States does not confront the authoritarian disruption of the rules-based international order. If the actions of the Russian dictator in Ukraine go unpunished, he said, it will only encourage more dictators to attempt the same attack globally.
“It’s going to cause conflict in many parts of the world,” Blinken said. And we don’t have to respond, we can do whatever we can to prevent it, and even if some of these rules are going to modernize them.”
International attendees of the event said the talk helped them understand the US national security strategy.
The Stanford Daily is an independent newspaper run by students at Stanford University. Read more of their stories at StanfordDaily.com.
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