This is your Beijing Bytes: US-China Tech War Updates podcast.

Ting here, with your fresh Beijing Bytes—US-China Tech War Updates… and friends, if you thought summer was hot, you haven’t seen what’s sizzling between Washington and Beijing right now.

Let’s talk cyber fireworks first. This past week, Chinese hacker groups like Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon, flagged by Microsoft’s threat research, managed to breach the US National Nuclear Security Administration—yep, they got into the agency that keeps watch on America’s nuclear arsenal. The vehicle of choice? A freshly exploited vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint. While officials from the Department of Energy assure everyone that the impact was “minimal” and no classified information leaked, hundreds of organizations worldwide were hit. This underscores a relentless, high-stakes duel: the US fortifying its cyber defenses, while Chinese threat actors continuously scout for new doors to pry open. It’s the cybersecurity equivalent of “two tigers fighting on a mountain,” except the mountain is full of zero-days and the tigers are sleepless[The Independent, Bloomberg, Security Affairs].

Now, onto the silicon frontlines. The US just rolled out even tighter export controls targeting AI chips—Nvidia must now get special licenses to supply even their China-focused H20 models. This comes hot on the heels of President Donald Trump’s deregulation-first AI Action Plan, which is designed to ‘cement US dominance in AI’ and accelerate tech exports to allies. Meanwhile, China isn’t just sitting on its hands. Premier Li Qiang, at Shanghai’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference, unveiled a proposal for a global AI cooperation organization. Think “UN for AI”—except headquartered in Shanghai and pointedly inclusive of the Global South to counter what they call the “exclusive game” of US chip “monopoly.” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who’s practically on a first-name basis with Beijing airport staff at this point, even called China’s domestic AI chip advances “formidable.” The AI tech stacks are fragmenting, folks, into two rival blocs, each with their own standards, partners, and rules—from joint research to regulatory philosophies[WAIC, The Asia Group, TS2].

Policy-wise, both economies are dancing delicately. Trade officials from Beijing and Washington are expected to extend their tariff pause another 90 days at talks in Stockholm—this means, for now, the tariff status quo holds. But behind the scenes, the sticking points remain: the US is fixated on China’s overcapacity and hunger for semiconductor know-how, while China wants to loosen the chokehold the US has put on its high-tech sectors. A recalibration is beginning, with Chinese state planners calling for more balanced regional industrial policies so every province doesn’t chase the same tech unicorn[SCMP, AP, World Bank].

The strategic implication? We’re watching the steady formation of two parallel tech universes—one US-led, one China-led—each racing to win the AI era and shape how the world is wired and governed. Experts like George Chen of The Asia Group say we’re heading for a “global alignment” where allies and Belt-and-Road countries pick sides or at least hedge their bets.

My take: if you’re in tech, security, or geopolitics, buckle your seatbelt. Both nations are tossing around offers of open-source AI and pragmatic cooperation on the surface, but under the hood, every move is about control—of supply chains, information, and digital sovereignty.

That’s the byte-sized drama for this week. Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to subscribe for all your Beijing Bytes on the US-China Tech War. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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