Intensifying Tensions: Xi Jinping Prepares China to Confront the US through AI and Military

Geopolitical conflicts have intensified recently. The United States (US) has deployed its military forces to several countries, such as Venezuela and Iran. The Land of Uncle Sam has also employed economic threats through import tariffs on a number of its trading partner countries, including Indonesia. This has put China on high alert. Chinese President Xi Jinping is reported to have devised a long-term plan to address the rivalry with the US. Xi is said to be redirecting resources towards artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and other strategic technologies, while expanding the military power of the Bamboo Curtain nation. Details of Xi’s ambitious plan for the next five years were presented at a national parliamentary meeting in Beijing some time ago, as reported by the New York Times. This plan reflects that, according to Xi, the competition with the US will ultimately be determined by technological innovation, which drives economic, military, and cultural power. “In the midst of fierce international competition, we must win the strategic initiative,” states the plan. As is known, in recent years, the US has frequently blocked Chinese technology. All sectors, including the private sector, have faced strict restrictions on using Chinese technology. For example, during President Joe Biden’s administration, in 2023, restrictions were imposed on Nvidia from selling its advanced chips to China. The chips in question, such as the H200 graphics processing unit (GPU) used for AI development. Biden argued that selling US technology to China would threaten US national security and give China an edge in the AI competition. In 2025, those restrictions were lifted by Trump, who allowed Nvidia to sell its advanced AI chips to China again. Although no specific country was named, many analysts suspect that the main target is to curb hardware originating from China. Chinese technology companies, such as Huawei and ZTE, have also been targeted in the past. Both were added to the blacklist (entity list), meaning they are prohibited from selling products or obtaining components from US companies.