Beijing hopes Washington’s redeployment of forces from Asia will further tip regional balance of powerFinancial Times
Day: March 23, 2026
US, China ‘disjointed’ on AI, but collaboration is possible: Silicon Valley tech founder
As China and the United States race to develop artificial intelligence (AI), geopolitical barriers are shaping how research, talent and capital flow across borders – or not – and how collaboration might emerge amid rising competition. Speaking in Hong Kong this month, three-time Silicon Valley cybersecurity founder John Whaley painted a picture of an industry that is global yet fragmented, as high stakes push countries to protect sovereign capabilities and data. When asked about the global AI landscape led by the US and China, Whaley described the two as “largely…
Police in Hong Kong can now demand phone and computer passwords under amended national security law
Hong Kong police can now demand that people suspected of breaching the city’s national security law provide mobile phone or computer passwords in a further crackdown on dissent. The new amendments to the law also empower customs officers to seize items that are deemed to have “seditious intention”, regardless of whether any person has been arrested for an offence endangering national security because of the items. Refusing to comply could lead to up to one year’s jail and a fine of up to HK$100,000 ($12,773) while providing false or misleading…
Asian private equity focused on cash flow as fundraising falls to 12-year low
Private equity investment in the Asia-Pacific region is increasingly flowing into advanced manufacturing and healthcare, as global uncertainties push investors towards businesses with more predictable cash flow, according to Bain & Co research. The move away from the previously dominant technology, media and telecommunications sector “has been a gradual move, driven by the external environment and uncertainties”, said Elsa Sit, practice vice-president in the Asia-Pacific private equity team with the global management consulting firm. “We see a shift towards … sectors that can offer more stable returns and more predictable…
3 Chinese EV makers raise prices – but analysts warn weak demand could force reversal
Xiaomi became the latest manufacturer to adjust pricing on March 19, announcing that its new-generation SU7 standard version would start at 219,900 yuan (US$31,800) – a 4,000 yuan increase over the previous model. Founder and CEO Lei Jun had attributed the rise to aggressive surges in supply chain component prices. The trend began earlier this month. On March 10, Chery’s Exeed brand said the high-end ET5 would see a 5,000 yuan price increase from March 21. A smart driving package previously offered for free would now cost an extra 5,000…
US panel credits China’s AI edge to open-source models, manufacturing dominance
China’s strategy of promoting open artificial intelligence (AI) models and leveraging manufacturing dominance is “mutually reinforcing”, forming a feedback loop that could challenge US dominance in AI, according to a new report by a US congressional advisory body. “It is the intersection of these two loops – one digital, one physical – that gives China’s open strategy its compounding force and poses the most serious long-term challenge to US AI leadership,” the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission wrote in its report. The two countries have diverged in their…
Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China review – Trump vomits all over Norma Percy’s film
It’s not normal to view documentaries about international trade negotiations as light relief, but we are where we are. Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China is a two-parter produced by film-maker Norma Percy, whose signature style – on series including The Iraq War, Putin vs the West and Inside Europe: Ten Years of Turmoil – is to use first-hand testimonies to revisit diplomatic flashpoints from a decade or so ago: sufficiently soon after the events for everyone who was there to still be alive, but late enough for them…
Former Biden official says Trump-Xi summit will go well amid ‘unusual’ circumstances
US President Donald Trump’s focus on short-term deliverables and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s bid for bilateral stability is likely to see an exceptionally amicable summit when they finally sit down, despite “unusual” circumstances brought by the Iran conflict, former senior US diplomat Kurt Campbell said. Trump and Xi’s upcoming high-stakes meeting in Beijing, which was postponed for at least five weeks from its original March 31 date, will see both leaders be “extraordinarily polite and engaged”, said Campbell, chairman of the Asia Group consultancy and former deputy secretary of state.…
What if US ground forces march into Iran? Chinese experts weigh the risks
Potential US ground operations against Iran might constrain Tehran, but the prospects for reopening the Strait of Hormuz were “highly uncertain”, Chinese analysts said. They also cautioned that any such escalation was likely to result in heavy casualties, with one of them saying Iran “might even welcome” such close combat. US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a five-day halt to military strikes on Iranian power plants. Advertisement He made the announcement on social media as the US’ 48-hour deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approached, and…
Tencent adds ClawBot plug-in to WeChat amid OpenClaw boom and privacy warnings
Tencent Holdings is rolling out a “ClawBot” plug-in for China’s most popular app WeChat as it seeks to capitalise on the OpenClaw craze, even as authorities continue to warn about risks. The move announced on Sunday will allow WeChat’s more than 1 billion monthly active users to command their OpenClaw artificial intelligence agents directly through the app, which is deeply embedded in daily life in China. In recent weeks, almost every Chinese tech giant has announced new offerings based on OpenClaw, the open-source AI agent tool developed by Austrian programmer…