https://www.scmp.com/rss/520121/feed Technology is the new frontier for the US-China rivalry, as America motions to secure its developments against what it sees as a global rival. Nevertheless, there are opportunities for the two countries to work together. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com David Dodwell David Dodwell Last week, on April 1 to be exact, Apple reached the grand old age of 50 (almost exactly a year younger than Microsoft), one of a tiny proportion of S&P-listed companies that have stayed the course for half a century. It is a company with which I have had a special connection and a love-hate relationship for most of my adult life. Not that I have ever owned an Apple product (I have always been a loyal Android man) nor any Apple shares; heavens, I wish I had. No. My special connection is more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349541/my-love-hate-relationship-apple-android-user?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349541/my-love-hate-relationship-apple-android-user?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Now more than halfway to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts prepared for their historic lunar fly-around to push deeper into space than even the Apollo astronauts. On the downside, their toilet is on the blink again. The three Americans and one Canadian are set to reach their destination Monday, photographing the mysterious lunar far side as they zoom around. It is the first moon-bound crew in more than 53 years, picking up where Nasa’s Apollo programme left off. “The Earth is quite small, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3349061/us-artemis-iis-moon-trip-faces-challenging-toilet-mission-again-over-flushing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/science-technology/article/3349061/us-artemis-iis-moon-trip-faces-challenging-toilet-mission-again-over-flushing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:49:56 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang The US government has unveiled an AI export initiative designed to cement American technological leadership while countering China’s growing influence in the sector. Washington is inviting US companies to form “preset” consortiums to offer full-stack artificial intelligence solutions around the world. Applications will be accepted until the end of June, the International Trade Administration (ITA), an agency under the US Department of Commerce, said in a news release issued on Wednesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348951/washington-launches-export-initiative-ensure-future-ai-led-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348951/washington-launches-export-initiative-ensure-future-ai-led-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:00:19 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Why didn’t China develop its own scientific and industrial revolutions when it made so many discoveries and advances over millennia? That is often called “Needham’s question”, named after the historian of Chinese science and tech Joseph Needham. Why didn’t China develop capitalism during the Song dynasty when it was so close to achieving a breakthrough with trade, commerce, currency and semi-industrialisation, and an emerging merchant class? The Hungarian-French sinologist Etienne Balazs, among... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Ke Meng Ke Meng In January, a top Chinese AI researcher told an industry summit in Beijing there was less than a 20 per cent chance of any Chinese company surpassing a leading US artificial intelligence firm in the next three to five years. The remark by Lin Junyang, until recently a technical leader working on Qwen, one of China’s most capable open-source AI models under Alibaba (which owns the South China Morning Post), made headlines. But much of the commentary missed a more important question Lin posed:... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347763/how-assess-chinas-real-chance-winning-ai-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347763/how-assess-chinas-real-chance-winning-ai-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen US artificial intelligence and robotics firms have urged lawmakers to take action against Chinese robot manufacturers – singling out Unitree Robotics – citing increased competition and national security risks, in a sign that humanoid robots may emerge as a new battleground in the widening US-China tech rivalry. China’s speed of advancement in humanoid robots is alarming, and the US government should formulate coordinated policies and strategies to counter Chinese firms’ dominance in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3346942/us-sounds-alarm-over-chinas-humanoid-robots-amid-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3346942/us-sounds-alarm-over-chinas-humanoid-robots-amid-security-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Denis Simon Denis Simon With the conclusion of China’s annual parliamentary “two sessions” meetings, emerging policy priorities suggest its relationship with the United States is entering a new technological era. This year’s government work report set an economic growth target of 4.5 to 5 per cent and announced increased fiscal support for science and technology, including a 10 per cent funding rise for research and development and over 16 per cent for basic research. More than routine budget adjustments, these figures... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346402/two-sessions-signals-china-us-tech-contest-entering-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346402/two-sessions-signals-china-us-tech-contest-entering-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Zhao Tong is a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Programme at Washington-based think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and its East Asia-based research centre on contemporary China, Carnegie China. His research focuses on strategic security issues, including nuclear weapons policy, deterrence, arms control, non-proliferation, missile defence, hypersonic weapons, regional security in the Asia-Pacific and China’s security and foreign policy. SCMP Plus readers get early access... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/military/article/3346333/us-israeli-war-iran-may-spark-nuclear-arms-race-carnegie-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/military/article/3346333/us-israeli-war-iran-may-spark-nuclear-arms-race-carnegie-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:39:17 +0000 Clarissa Lui Clarissa Lui In late February, Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data co-signed, alongside 60 overseas organisations, a statement to bring attention to the rising misuse of deepfakes. With rapid technological developments, growing AI integration and lower barriers to access, swift action is needed to safeguard women and girls against growing forms of technology-facilitated violence. Technology-facilitated violence is not new; it has simply evolved. What began as pre-internet... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346126/make-ai-safe-put-women-and-girls-heart-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346126/make-ai-safe-put-women-and-girls-heart-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Matt Terrell Matt Terrell Around the world, news organisations are racing to create rules for artificial intelligence. Editors debate whether reporters may use AI to draft text, summarise documents or help in research. Some outlets promise readers they will disclose when a machine helps write an article. Others hope credibility will come from avoiding AI altogether. But this debate begins with a mistaken assumption: that journalism earns trust because journalists physically write the sentences themselves. That has never... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345269/ai-forcing-journalism-rediscover-what-profession-actually-does?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345269/ai-forcing-journalism-rediscover-what-profession-actually-does?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin As China and the United States compete to shape the future of artificial intelligence, Africa’s rapidly expanding digital landscape is emerging as a new arena for their rivalry, far from the technology hubs of Silicon Valley or Shenzhen. With a growing population, expanding internet access and linguistic diversity, Africa is increasingly seen as a critical region for AI development, according to analysts. Early infrastructure and platform decisions can shape the future of emerging technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345483/africa-emerges-new-arena-us-china-competition-over-artificial-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:10:11 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen A key congressional advisory panel issued a warning on Monday about China’s rapidly advancing maritime capabilities and urged the Pentagon to maintain its undersea “superiority”, underscoring growing friction in US-China relations weeks ahead of a high-stakes summit next month. China has invested heavily in submarines, undersea cables and sea-floor mining, potentially undercutting the US lead in undersea warfare, commissioners and witnesses said at a hearing of the US-China Economic and Security... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345194/us-advisory-panel-warns-china-gaining-undersea-warfare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3345194/us-advisory-panel-warns-china-gaining-undersea-warfare?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:13:21 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell A week ago, I had never heard of Matt Shumer. Today, I and 80 million others have viewed his “Something Big is Happening” essay warning about the all-conquering power of the AI revolution, counselling us to maximise our use of artificial intelligence immediately and to put our finances in order. The message? A technology as flexible and powerful as AI will leave many people’s careers permanently devastated. For the truly paranoid, Citrini Research’s 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis report this... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344778/ai-backlash-growing-how-much-just-hype?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344778/ai-backlash-growing-how-much-just-hype?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Li Cheng,Tony Xiuye Zhao Li Cheng,Tony Xiuye Zhao The perpetual question of “who governs” finds stark expression in today’s US-China rivalry. As the two powers compete, the contrast between governance-by-technocrats in China and the predominance of lawyers in the United States is shaping each country’s respective development path. China is set to approve its 15th five-year plan, which will set development goals and strategies through 2030. It prioritises critical technological breakthroughs and industrial integration. Meanwhile, in the Trump... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343150/how-washingtons-lawyers-stack-against-beijings-technocrats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3343150/how-washingtons-lawyers-stack-against-beijings-technocrats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a self-branded “TrumpRx” website allowing consumers to buy discounted drugs such as weight-loss and infertility treatments directly from companies. The move is part of Trump’s drive to tackle voter anger over the cost of living ahead of midterm elections in November, in which his Republicans risk losing control of Congress. “Starting tonight, dozens of the most commonly used prescription drugs will be available at dramatic discounts for all... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342568/trump-unveil-trumprx-website-people-buy-discounted-prescription-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342568/trump-unveil-trumprx-website-people-buy-discounted-prescription-drugs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:18:15 +0000 Malaika Thiam-Bockman Malaika Thiam-Bockman The United States has been constructing a new dimension of its economic security policy: outbound investment rules. Since January last year, Washington has not only established its first outbound investment screening programme but codified it into law and explicitly provided for its expansion. These rules are gaining teeth, giving rise to a compliance architecture that conditions US foreign direct investment on national security priorities. As firms begin to operationalise these rules, capital... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342148/beyond-china-asia-will-bear-brunt-us-builds-walls-around-tech-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342148/beyond-china-asia-will-bear-brunt-us-builds-walls-around-tech-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:30:38 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Dressed like 1970s rock stars evoking bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Velvet Sundown look the part of a real band – with one key difference: despite millions of listeners, they do not exist. The group is generated by artificial intelligence. AI-generated music is exploding, with the rapid expansion of platforms like the United States’ Suno and Udio, as well as China’s Mureka. From creation to copyright, the technology is making waves globally. But the US and China are approaching it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341893/future-ai-music-us-and-china-strike-different-chords?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341893/future-ai-music-us-and-china-strike-different-chords?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Jeffrey Ding is an assistant professor of political science at George Washington University. He is the author of Technology and the Rise of Great Powers, an award-winning book exploring the impact of technology on geopolitical competition, as well as the founder of the ChinAI newsletter, which tracks developments in China’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry. In this interview, Ding explains why “diffusion”, not innovation, will determine whether China or the US will prevail in the AI race,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340976/jeffrey-ding-why-diffusion-not-innovation-secret-victory-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340976/jeffrey-ding-why-diffusion-not-innovation-secret-victory-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 22:00:16 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance announced on Thursday the official creation of a new US venture – TikTok USDS Joint Venture – to operate the short video app used by 200 million Americans. The deal, the culmination of years of legal and political uncertainty, is part of the effort to comply with a 2024 US law that aimed to push ByteDance to divest TikTok to address national security concerns over the app’s links to Beijing. Without a divestment, the app would have faced a nationwide... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341074/who-are-owners-new-tiktok-us-entity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341074/who-are-owners-new-tiktok-us-entity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:02:59 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Asian companies are feeling the impact of technology restrictions imposed by the US and China “more acutely” than American firms, and supplier diversification is topping the agenda for CEOs in the year ahead, a survey by The Conference Board has found. According to the survey, 23 per cent of Asian CEOs polled cited export controls as a trade concern, compared with just 11 per cent of American CEOs. “The expanding economic security tool kit, including tech controls, affects Asia more acutely... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341001/asian-ceos-feeling-burden-china-us-tech-restrictions-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341001/asian-ceos-feeling-burden-china-us-tech-restrictions-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:01:06 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The economic benefits of China’s abundant and cheap supply of electricity were recognised by US tech billionaire Elon Musk and other speakers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. As the United States and the European Union contemplate how to catch up, Tesla CEO Musk said the artificial intelligence (AI) industry was facing an energy bottleneck around the globe – with AI chips being produced rapidly and electricity output struggling to keep up – apart from the notable... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340968/davos-debut-musk-highlights-key-china-advantage-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340968/davos-debut-musk-highlights-key-china-advantage-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 07:34:46 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A small number of Chinese satellites and space debris forced SpaceX’s Starlink fleet to execute a large number of collision avoidance manoeuvres last year, as both sides complained of safety challenges from rival internet megaconstellations. The largest culprit was Hongqing Technology’s Honghu-2 satellite, which accounted for 1,143 such manoeuvres. The experimental satellite was launched aboard LandSpace’s Zhuque 2 Y-3 rocket in December 2023. Such manoeuvres consume fuel and shorten a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340788/chinese-satellites-spacex-says-were-collision-course-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3340788/chinese-satellites-spacex-says-were-collision-course-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Wang Wen Wang Wen After a year of Trump 2.0, China has much to be thankful for. This is not an endorsement of US hegemony but an expression of confidence in China’s increased resilience – and an acknowledgement of the US policies that pushed China there. The Chinese government’s stance towards Trump 2.0 remains the same: to adhere to its own principles, respond rationally and look to turn any crisis into an opportunity. For a start, Trump 2.0’s tariff war on China has backfired. All it did was force China to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340739/how-trump-20-accelerated-chinas-push-tech-and-trade-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340739/how-trump-20-accelerated-chinas-push-tech-and-trade-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Jeffrey Ding is an assistant professor of political science at George Washington University. He is the author of Technology and the Rise of Great Powers, an award-winning book exploring the impact of technology on geopolitical competition, as well as the founder of the ChinAI newsletter, which tracks developments in China’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry. In this interview, Ding explains why “diffusion”, not innovation, will determine whether China or the US will prevail in the AI race,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3340790/artificial-intelligences-practical-uses-not-race-agi-what-counts-jeffrey-ding-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3340790/artificial-intelligences-practical-uses-not-race-agi-what-counts-jeffrey-ding-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:30:13 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong The United States could be at risk of falling behind China in the technology race unless it halts the “wholesale onslaught” on scientific research programmes taking place under US President Donald Trump, according to the Nobel Prize-winning economist Joel Mokyr. The American-Israeli scholar, who shared the 2025 prize for economics, said “all areas that are at the cutting edge of science” in the US were “suffering” under the current administration, which appeared to be “against any kind of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340698/us-losing-ground-china-onslaught-cutting-edge-research-nobel-laureate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340698/us-losing-ground-china-onslaught-cutting-edge-research-nobel-laureate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang China has emerged as a credible challenger to the US in artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery, where advantage depends not only on computing prowess but also on the ability to effectively mine data, from genomes to clinical trial results, according to Leung Chuen-yan, a private equity investor and life sciences scientist. “Globally, the way companies develop and use AI to discover drugs is similar, from finding the drug target and designing the molecule to planning clinical trials,” said... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3340403/china-challenges-us-ai-drug-race-rivals-still-reliant-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:30:11 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Bochen Han Xinmei Shen,Bochen Han Witnesses and lawmakers at a foreign affairs hearing blasted the Trump administration’s approval for the sale of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China and called for it to reverse the decision, as the White House’s top technology adviser defended the move in the administration’s first public testimony discussing the latest export control measures. Allowing China to buy Nvidia’s second most powerful AI chip is a “wrong path” that would “supercharge” Beijing’s military modernisation and damage the US’... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3339935/trump-administration-faces-backlash-over-nvidia-h200-ai-chip-sales-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3339935/trump-administration-faces-backlash-over-nvidia-h200-ai-chip-sales-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 22:34:38 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Thousands of nurses at three major hospitals in New York City began to strike on Monday, amid a severe flu season and broader pressures on the US healthcare system. The walkout impacts roughly 15,000 nurses at hospitals including Mount Sinai Medical Centre and New York-Presbyterian in Manhattan as well as Montefiore Medical Centre in the Bronx. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined striking nurses on the picket line in Washington Heights. “All parties must return immediately to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339648/zohran-mamdani-joins-new-york-city-nurses-strike-over-labour-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339648/zohran-mamdani-joins-new-york-city-nurses-strike-over-labour-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:32:22 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A senior Trump administration official has defended exports of advanced chips to China, arguing that the US is building its own “digital silk road” to counteract concerns that Washington is eroding the competitiveness of top US models. The comments, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Thursday, came amid questions from Chinese observers over why the US government would make certain advanced integrated circuits, such as Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips, available to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339266/chip-sales-china-part-us-plan-build-its-own-digital-silk-road-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339266/chip-sales-china-part-us-plan-build-its-own-digital-silk-road-official?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 03:40:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Health tech gadgets displayed at the annual CES trade show make a lot of promises. A smart scale promoted a healthier lifestyle by scanning your feet to track your heart health, and an egg-shaped hormone tracker uses artificial intelligence to help you figure out the best time to conceive. Technology and health experts, however, question the accuracy of products like these and warn of data privacy issues – especially as the US federal government eases up on regulation. The US Food and Drug... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339151/dose-uncertainty-experts-wary-ai-health-tech-gadgets-display-ces-trade-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339151/dose-uncertainty-experts-wary-ai-health-tech-gadgets-display-ces-trade-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:34:32 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Biotech firm Insilico Medicine, backed by the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), is building a “digital Einstein” to revolutionise how scientists discover new medicines, and plans to continue expanding its research base in China to stay ahead of global rivals after its Hong Kong listing on Tuesday. “Biotechnology is a high-risk field like a ‘molecular casino’,” said founder Alex Zhavoronkov. “Even with artificial intelligence, you can lose 90 per cent of the time.” The 11-year-old company... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337942/china-vital-insilicos-plan-build-biotechs-ai-einstein-drug-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337942/china-vital-insilicos-plan-build-biotechs-ai-einstein-drug-discovery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 02:13:46 +0000 Zhang Zhipeng Zhang Zhipeng US President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order for the “Genesis Mission”, a national campaign to use artificial intelligence (AI) to boost scientific breakthroughs. In the opening section, the mission is explicitly described as “comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project”. The comparison is compelling, but also misleading. At first glance, the order evokes the image of America in the 1940s, muscular and confident, mobilising the whole nation to end World War II.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337800/likening-trumps-ai-mission-manhattan-project-sadly-mistaken?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337800/likening-trumps-ai-mission-manhattan-project-sadly-mistaken?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Jean Tirole Jean Tirole The fascination with cryptocurrencies shows no sign of fading. With the passage of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (Genius) Act in July, US lawmakers added to the sense that crypto is here to stay. But an uncomfortable issue remains unresolved: are cryptocurrencies a genuine innovation capable of serving the common good, or a speculative threat to financial and social stability? Not all cryptocurrencies are alike. Unbacked ones, such as bitcoin or Ethereum,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337375/harness-crypto-ingenuity-financial-threat-must-first-be-neutralised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337375/harness-crypto-ingenuity-financial-threat-must-first-be-neutralised?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin As 2025 draws to a close, it marks an important milestone in the reconfiguration of the global economic system. Every century is defined not only by changes in technological leadership and shifts in global power, but also by the restructuring of the global financial system. The 20th century was the century of the US dollar, but with the arrival of the 21st century, the contours of the global macroeconomic system have begun to change. A recent International Monetary Fund study, “Playing with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337132/forget-us-dollar-watch-water-and-energy-resources-instead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337132/forget-us-dollar-watch-water-and-energy-resources-instead?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two senior Democratic lawmakers on Monday asked the ‌US Commerce Department to disclose details ‍and any approvals of continuing licence reviews for potential sales to Chinese firms of Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chips. US President Donald Trump this month said he would allow sales of Nvidia’s (NVDA.O) H200 chips to China, with the US government collecting a 25 per cent ‍fee, and that the sales would help ‍keep US firms ahead of Chinese chipmakers by cutting demand for Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3337395/lawmakers-want-us-disclose-any-approvals-nvidia-h200-china-licences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3337395/lawmakers-want-us-disclose-any-approvals-nvidia-h200-china-licences?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:43:50 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Bochen Han Khushboo Razdan,Bochen Han In a landmark move that ends years of legal and political uncertainty, TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi informed employees on Thursday that the company has signed a binding agreement to divest its US entity into a joint venture controlled by a consortium of American investors. The deal, which has received the backing of US President Donald Trump, effectively averts a looming nationwide ban and secures the platform’s future for its 170 million American users. The new entity, named TikTok USDS Joint... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3336980/tiktok-reaches-deal-sell-us-assets-american-investor-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3336980/tiktok-reaches-deal-sell-us-assets-american-investor-group?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:26:54 +0000 Michael Edesess Michael Edesess In the past three years, we have experienced an extraordinary level of hype around artificial intelligence. AI as a concept has been around for nearly 70 years but the discussion has exploded since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022. ChatGPT uses a technology called a large language model (LLM). It is not the only AI technology, but it’s the one that has seemingly drawn all the attention. It is the model that enables ChatGPT and other chatbots to write impressive prose and even poetry, and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336751/why-ai-chatbots-are-unlikely-bring-about-human-extinction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336751/why-ai-chatbots-are-unlikely-bring-about-human-extinction?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong US President Donald Trump’s green light for Nvidia to sell H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chips in China signals a calculated shift to export older technology, according to analysts who see the move as aiming to fortify the US market share while dampening China’s urgency for self-reliance. But some predict an ongoing policy tug of war in the US between advocates of this week’s relaxation and those who prefer continued tight restrictions on hi-tech gear shipped to China. Trump said on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335774/us-china-tech-thaw-trump-clears-nvidia-h200-exports-why-green-light-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3335774/us-china-tech-thaw-trump-clears-nvidia-h200-exports-why-green-light-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US will allow Nvidia to ship its H200 artificial intelligence chips to approved customers in China, marking the latest lobbying win for the American chip company. The decision follows weeks of deliberations by the Trump administration about whether to grant permission to ship the H200 to China. It comes days after Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang met with Trump in Washington to discuss US export controls. “I have informed President Xi,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335669/trump-says-us-will-allow-sale-nvidia-h200-ai-chips-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335669/trump-says-us-will-allow-sale-nvidia-h200-ai-chips-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:25:40 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han The US Congress is readying votes on a sprawling bill that would restrict US outbound investment to China in sensitive sectors as well as federal government contracting with Chinese biotechnology companies, two controversial measures that were left out of similar legislation last year. The provisions were included in a compromise defence bill released on Sunday after months of negotiation. Votes on the annual bill, known as the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), could happen this week.... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3335668/us-congress-unveils-defence-bill-curbs-china-tech-investment-biotech-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3335668/us-congress-unveils-defence-bill-curbs-china-tech-investment-biotech-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:14:05 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi With the technology race between the United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, intensifying even though a trade truce was reached in late October, analysts say the prospects of China achieving self-sufficiency in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) are positive, despite American efforts to maintain leads in those fields. “If any country can do it [achieve self-sufficiency in semiconductors], it’s China, owing to its vast resources and pool of engineering talent,”... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335348/china-defies-us-tech-blockade-can-local-ai-chipmakers-capture-nvidias-market-share?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335348/china-defies-us-tech-blockade-can-local-ai-chipmakers-capture-nvidias-market-share?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 13:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters A bipartisan group of US senators, including prominent Republican China hawk Tom Cotton, on Thursday unveiled a bill that would block the Trump administration from loosening rules that restrict Beijing’s access to artificial intelligence chips for two-and-a-half years. The bill, known as the SAFE CHIPS Act, was filed by Republican Senator Pete Ricketts and Democrat Chris Coons. It would require the Commerce Department, which oversees export controls, to deny any license requests for buyers in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335255/senators-unveil-bill-keep-trump-easing-curbs-ai-chip-sales-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335255/senators-unveil-bill-keep-trump-easing-curbs-ai-chip-sales-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 20:45:38 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan China’s pharmaceutical industry is on the brink of enormous growth and transformation. In just a few years, it has moved on from being the world’s cheapest source of active pharmaceutical ingredients to becoming a major hub for pharmaceutical innovation – a place where new, more effective drugs are born. It is now the second-largest developer of drugs, trailing only the United States. In the global drug development pipeline, China’s growth rate is phenomenal, leaping from 3 per cent in 2013 to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3334948/how-china-went-generic-drug-factory-biomedicine-innovator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3334948/how-china-went-generic-drug-factory-biomedicine-innovator?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang The United States will redouble efforts to ensure its return to the moon ahead of China and also establish an enduring presence on Earth's natural satellite to entrench the country’s presence, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said on Wednesday during a Senate confirmation hearing. Such a sense of urgency for the US to accelerate its pace in this “second space race” has haunted Capitol Hill, as Beijing, a strategic rival framed by Washington,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3335120/trumps-nasa-pick-vows-us-will-beat-china-back-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3335120/trumps-nasa-pick-vows-us-will-beat-china-back-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:38:50 +0000 Ningrong Liu Ningrong Liu My recent visit to Mianyang, the second-largest city in Sichuan province, revealed a place little known despite being just a 90-minute drive from Chengdu. Its unique distinction lies in its high concentration of scientists – a legacy of its role as a central hub during the “Third Front Construction” from 1964 to 1978. This was a critical period when China relocated strategic industries inland to build a self-reliant economy against a backdrop of external threats. This era formed the second of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333115/beyond-us-china-decoupling-self-reliance-now-global-movement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3333115/beyond-us-china-decoupling-self-reliance-now-global-movement?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang Washington should tighten its export controls by adding inspection staff and plugging loopholes to slow Beijing’s chipmaking advances and curb evasion efforts with support from allies such as the Netherlands and Japan, US lawmakers and experts said on Thursday. Such actions should be deployed, including empowering the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to close trade loopholes and also targeting China’s national champion firms in the semiconductor sector as well as their US subsidiaries,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3333608/us-officials-call-tougher-chip-rules-limit-chinas-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3333608/us-officials-call-tougher-chip-rules-limit-chinas-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:41:13 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s shipments of rare earth permanent magnets to the US surged to a nine-month high in October as the two countries engaged in a roller-coaster round of manoeuvring over export controls that led to an easing of trade tensions late last month. During the same period, exports to the European Union fell from the level recorded in September. China is the world’s largest supplier of permanent magnets – essential components in hi-tech products such as electric vehicles and defence systems – and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333550/chinese-rare-earth-magnet-exports-us-hit-9-month-high-trade-war-resolves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333550/chinese-rare-earth-magnet-exports-us-hit-9-month-high-trade-war-resolves?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang US lawmakers on Wednesday called for a change in Washington’s strategy to evade China’s chokehold on rare earth mineral supplies, arguing that new approaches are needed in parallel with President Donald Trump’s efforts to speed up domestic production. Proposals to dismantle the chokepoint – including new technologies and development of components that do not require the critical minerals as inputs – were presented during a hearing of the US House Select Committee on China. The suggestions came... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3333462/us-lawmakers-press-new-tactics-challenge-chinas-grip-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3333462/us-lawmakers-press-new-tactics-challenge-chinas-grip-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 22:33:24 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi When President Xi Jinping commissioned the Fujian on November 5, China became only the second nation to have an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic catapult system. It is also notable that, last month, two navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz crashed into the South China Sea. These events crystallise a strategic reality often obscured by aggregate force comparisons: the relevant naval balance is not between the 11 US aircraft carriers and China’s three, but between what the United States can... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332517/south-china-sea-how-third-pla-navy-aircraft-carrier-changes-dynamics-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332517/south-china-sea-how-third-pla-navy-aircraft-carrier-changes-dynamics-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 12:30:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Anthropic plans to spend US$50 billion to build custom data centres for artificial intelligence work in several US locations, including Texas and New York, the latest expensive pledge for infrastructure to support the AI boom. The new sites, which Anthropic is developing with UK-based Fluidstack, would start coming online throughout 2026, the company said Wednesday in a statement. The project marks the first major data centre buildout that the AI firm has taken on directly, rather than through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3332569/anthropic-commits-us50-billion-build-ai-data-centres-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3332569/anthropic-commits-us50-billion-build-ai-data-centres-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 02:13:23 +0000