China’s rapid tech rise reshapes AI, industry, and geopolitics

This cluster tracks China’s accelerating push into advanced technology—from robotics nearing U.S. levels and AI-powered metro stations with robot dogs and drones, to state-backed innovation parks and Hong Kong startup initiatives. At the same time, global responses are diverging: Europe is excluding China from flagship research, while Huawei joins U.S. giants in AI standards efforts and South Korea’s top think tank urges cooperation over rivalry. UN delegations are studying China’s urban AI practices, even as controversies emerge over Chinese startups allegedly mining Western AI models like Claude. Together, these developments highlight how China’s tech ascent is forcing governments and firms worldwide to rethink industrial policy, security, and collaboration in the AI era.