Commenting on the increasingly intense trade war between China and the US, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer opined how this is just the tip of the iceberg for the dispute between both countries. He noted how behind the facade of trade, is an even bigger war of science, technology and innovation. Prof De Meyer was one of the keynote speakers at the 2018 global summit held jointly in Shanghai on 20 April by SMU and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, themed “Becoming a Global Leader of Innovation: Perspectives from Singapore and China”. Prof De Meyer also touched on China's progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and how it has threatened the US.