In the twilight of the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan warned against the rise of economic nationalism. “We should beware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war… all while cynically waving the American flag,” he said in 1988. His message wasn’t just about tariffs, it was about vision. Reagan understood that American strength comes from open markets, innovation, and confidence, not retreat, fear, or exclusion.

Fast forward to today: the U.S. is facing another defining test, this time in the race for AI dominance. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently warned that U.S. restrictions on chip exports to China are backfiring. “If American tech providers like Nvidia aren’t allowed in,” Huang said, “local customers will just spend that money elsewhere.” China alone represents a $50 billion AI opportunity by 2026. By denying access, we aren’t slowing China down. We’re handing the market to competitors like Huawei.

Limiting exports of advanced AI chips may feel like a strategic move, but it’s shortsighted. Protectionism won’t prevent China’s rise, it will just accelerate the erosion of U.S. influence. Our goal shouldn’t be to isolate China at the expense of our own innovation but to outcompete through excellence and strategic engagement.

Rather than walling off markets and alienating allies, we should focus on building global partnerships and ensuring the world’s AI infrastructure is rooted in American technology, values, and trust. As Reagan said, “Free and fair trade brings greater prosperity to all our peoples.” The best way to lead is not by closing doors, but by opening them wider.