China Is Striking Back in the Tech War With the U.S.

Two dates from 2022 are destined to echo in geopolitical history. The first, Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, hardly needs further elaboration. The second is October 7, 2022, when the United States enacted a new set of export controls designed to cripple China's future progress in AI technology. Rather than target AI software, the export controls choke off China's access to the advanced (and almost exclusively American-designed) computer chip hardware that powers AI. More than a decade of breakthrough after breakthrough in AI technology has convinced policymakers in both Beijing and Washington that leadership in AI technology is foundational to the future of economic and military power.