# Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a stark warning about the high stakes of the U.S.–China tech competition: losing the AI race could compromise national security beyond what the defense budget… > Source: > Published: 2026-09-09 16:45:42+00:00 # Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a stark warning about the high stakes of the U.S.–China tech competition: losing the AI race could compromise national security beyond what the defense budget can protect.