Recent U.S. decisions to authorize large-scale exports of advanced AI chips—such as over one million Nvidia units to the UAE and 18,000 high-end chips to Saudi Arabia—have drawn sharp criticism from Chinese analysts.
Rather than focusing on the impact on China, these analysts argue that such moves are short-sighted and ultimately undermine the United States’ own long-term strategic interests.
Liu Yushu, deputy secretary-general of a Beijing-based tech innovation alliance, argues this move reflects a flawed strategy to counter China’s rise, doomed by three miscalculations:
- Geopolitical Overreach: The U.S. aims to co-opt Middle Eastern allies (like Saudi Arabia and the UAE) into a tech blockade against China. However, these nations prioritize multilateral balancing—deepening ties with China in AI, infrastructure, and critical minerals (e.g., Saudi-China joint ventures in semiconductors) while engaging the U.S.
- Underestimating China’s Resilience: U.S. restrictions have accelerated China’s tech self-sufficiency, with breakthroughs like 7nm chips and a vast AI talent pool (50% of global researchers). Chinese scholars view the U.S. approach as a strategic myopia that ignores China’s market scale and innovation capacity.
- Defying Global Collaboration Trends: The semiconductor industry thrives on interconnected supply chains. Attempts to fracture this ecosystem, scholars argue, will backfire by isolating U.S. firms (e.g., Nvidia’s revenue concerns) while Middle Eastern partners resist overreliance on Washington.
On WeChat, influential commentator Zhan Hao delivers an even bolder takedown in his viral article “Trump Never Dreamed This U.S. Deal Would Ultimately Benefit China!”
He exposes the fatal flaw in America’s chip diplomacy: you can’t run AI supercomputers without power – and China controls the energy infrastructure needed to make these Middle Eastern projects work. While the U.S. sells chips, China dominates solar panels (85% global share), smart grids, and data center cooling systems – meaning Gulf states building AI hubs with American technology will still depend on Chinese infrastructure.
Trump’s “anti-China” deal actually locks in Chinese technological dominance across the Middle East’s digital future, he argues.
