Smugglers in Texas, New Jersey, and New York. A mysterious Hong Kong client. And a plot to illegally sell Nvidia AI chips to China.

In our fifth episode, The Wire China reporter Eliot Chen ventures into the criminal underworld with news editor Andrew Peaple. They discuss how Eliot mapped out an international smuggling ring busted late last year for sending advanced chips to Chinese customers. It's a case that reads more like a thriller — and it shows just how far companies will go for an edge in the increasingly competitive race for tech dominance.

We also have an extract from our latest Q&A with former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on how successive presidential administrations navigated U.S.-China rare earth competition, and a guide to the other articles you can read in this week's edition, published every Sunday evening EST at thewirechina.com

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