Innovation in Digital Technologies and Priority of Foreign Policy: China?s Innovation in Digital Technologies and Chinese Leaders? Foreign Travel

It is undisputed that technological innovation is a key driving force of national development. Recently, an intensified technological competition between the United States and China demonstrates that hegemons and contending powers have tried to sprint in the leading of technological innovation facilitating economic and military leadership. This work attempts to examine whether the competition between the United States and China in digital technology influence China's diplomatic priority by analyzing top Chinese leaders' foreign visits indicating national diplomatic priority. As China's innovation in digital technology relatively grows, if Chinese leaders more often travel to rogue states, U.S. allies in the Asian-Pacific region, rising powers, and countries that are hostile to the United States, it can be seen as seeking to challenge the U.S.-led global order. Regression findings verify that with relative improvement of China's ability in digital technology, top Chinese leaders less frequently visit rogue states, rising powers, and U.S. antagonistic states.