Silicon Smackdown: US-China Tech Tango Turns Testy

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

Welcome back to Beijing Bytes, your friendly neighborhood tech and cyber beat. I'm Ting, and I’m here to break down the wildest fortnight in the US-China tech war, served up with a side of wit—no MSG or spyware, I promise.

So, where to start? Last week, imagine the world’s two biggest frenemies—Uncle Sam and the People’s Republic—duking it out in Geneva, trade delegates sweating over their lattes, finally hammering out a 90-day tariff truce. No, this isn’t a ’90s romcom, but it has almost as much drama. The US and China agreed to slash tariffs on each other’s goods, with tariffs dropping from apocalyptic levels (245 percent on some Chinese imports, 125 percent the other way) to a more civil 10 percent. But don’t breathe easy; Trump’s special 20 percent tax, meant to punish Beijing for the fentanyl crisis, still stands, so total US tariffs hover around 30 percent. That’s like ordering extra chili oil and realizing your stomach still isn’t safe.

Now, the non-tariff shenanigans: Beijing added 11 US companies to their infamous ‘unreliable entities’ list, basically giving them the digital cold shoulder, barring them from import, export, and investment in China. Another 16 US firms (mostly defense and aerospace) got slapped onto the export control blacklist, meaning: no more dual-use tech for you. Plus, the Ministry of Commerce launched an anti-dumping probe into US medical CT tubes and dropped an anti-monopoly bomb on a major US chemical company’s China arm. And if you’re in the rare earths game, you’ll want to sit down—China clamped export controls on seven types of rare earths, the lifeblood of everything from EVs to missiles. Considering China controls 90 percent of global rare earth supply, that’s a power move.

Meanwhile, in the IT world, DeepSeek—yes, that hyped-up AI startup—has been powering up PCs, robots, and EVs from Lenovo to Geely, deploying AI in ways that would make even Elon Musk raise an eyebrow. Deutsche Bank called it a ‘Sputnik moment’ for Chinese tech. Of course, the US is watching with one eye on the sanctions list.

On the policy front, both sides are eyeing a fragile détente, but industry experts warn IT projects and supply chains are still in limbo. The markets are up, and Trump’s tweeting ‘win,’ but let’s be real: the clock’s ticking. If this 90-day tariff pause doesn’t turn into something more, those 24 percent tariffs from April 2 could come roaring back on August 10—think of it as a software trial that expires unless you cough up for the pro version.

Cybersecurity’s still a battlefield too. No major new hacks in the past two weeks, but every analyst I know says the quiet part out loud: the US and China are both ramping up cyber deterrence, with Beijing’s new export controls and Washington’s expanded blacklist for Chinese chipmakers.

What’s next? Expect more chess, less checkers. China’s doubling down on AI and green tech, betting big on self-reliance. The US? Still trying to thread the needle between innovation and protectionism. Some analysts say this is the calm before the next tech storm, as both sides figure out just how much détente each can stomach.

So, keep your firewalls up and your VPNs ready. Beijing Bytes signing off—until next time, may your code compile and your cyber skills never rust.

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