Overview
- Xi Jinping said many large AI models are competing at the top and cited breakthroughs in domestic chip R&D, while also highlighting projects from the Tianwen-2 mission to an electromagnetic catapult carrier, a mega dam, robots and drones.
- He used the address to signal that American restrictions have accelerated China’s drive for tech independence rather than slowing it.
- Chinese progress in 2025 included DeepSeek’s R1 launch, which rivaled top U.S. models and coincided with a steep one-day selloff in U.S. tech shares, including a drop of more than 17% for Nvidia.
- In December, President Donald Trump allowed Nvidia to sell H200 chips to approved customers in China, marking a limited easing within broader U.S. export curbs.
- Investor interest has been shifting toward Chinese AI and chips, with UBS calling Chinese tech most attractive and domestic chipmakers’ founders, such as MetaX cofounder Chen Weiliang, gaining wealth as the sector expands.