US-China Relations

The US Department of Homeland Security on October 19, 2026 published an administrative order requiring federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek-related technology from their information systems and prohibiting procurement of the company’s products and services. The order was first issued on July 24, 2026 and covers agencies including the Treasury, State and Justice departments, while explicitly excluding the Department of Defense. China’s Foreign Ministry said it would safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese companies and opposed politicising technology and trade issues.

President Trump is hosting a state dinner at the White House for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, with sea bass as the main course and chiefs of Apple, Google, Nvidia, Meta and other major tech firms on the guest list, according to AP and other outlets. Held against the backdrop of great-power competition and the AI race, the dinner is being framed as a high-level diplomatic moment for both sides to negotiate on trade tensions, Taiwan, and AI governance.

The Washington Post reports that US President Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Washington airport with an unusually personal ceremony; the two leaders agreed to extend their trade truce but left structural differences on AI safety and Taiwan unresolved.

BBC News reports that US President Trump and Chinese President Xi held a meeting in which AI superpower competition featured prominently. Disputes over chip supply, technical standards, and industrial ecosystems are once again in the global spotlight.

The U.S. and China have reportedly set up an AI dialogue hotline, but Treasury Secretary Bessent publicly described the technical details as ‘BS’, highlighting that the two sides remain far apart on AI issues.

US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a closely watched face-to-face meeting against the backdrop of a fragile US-China trade truce, the New York Times reported. The summit is an important window into the trajectory of bilateral relations, the outlook for tariff policy, and changes in the global supply chain and geopolitical landscape.

President Trump announced a 15% tariff on imported polysilicon and other critical chip materials, aiming to protect US semiconductor industry from Chinese competition, a move that could further accelerate US-China tech decoupling.

Core Summary China has formally imposed export restrictions on dozens of US companies linked to the Pentagon, in a direct retaliatory move against American sanctions. The escalation marks a new chapter in the intensifying tech and trade rivalry between the two superpowers, with rare earth minerals and defense supply chains at the center of the dispute. Event Details According to the Wall Street Journal, China’s Commerce Ministry announced export control measures targeting US firms with ties to the Department of Defense. The move comes as a direct response to Washington’s blacklisting of Chinese companies. ...

[Core Summary] The US Pentagon has issued a statement alleging that Chinese tech companies including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, and Unitree Robotics provide support to the Chinese military. This declaration further intensifies the technology competition and geopolitical tensions between the US and China, and could have profound implications for these companies’ international business operations and investment profiles. Background According to TechCrunch, the Pentagon named four Chinese tech giants in a public statement, designating them as “military-associated enterprises.” The accusation spans multiple sectors – from e-commerce and search engines (Alibaba, Baidu) to electric vehicles (BYD) and robotics (Unitree) – signaling an expanding scope of US scrutiny over China’s technology industry. ...

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that the US will not turn its back on Asian allies, but expects them to take on more defense responsibility, while also praising improved US-China relations.