US agencies have briefed senators on ‘Salt Typhoon,’ a Chinese cyber-espionage campaign allegedly targeting American telecommunications networks. Officials claim the hackers stole call metadata and other sensitive information, affecting at least eight US telecom firms and dozens of companies worldwide. The breaches have sparked bipartisan concern, with some senators pressing for stronger preventive measures and legislation.
Telecom giants like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile acknowledged the incidents but downplayed the impact on customer data. Federal agencies, including the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, emphasised the challenge of fully removing hackers from networks, while incoming FCC Chair Brendan Carr pledged to strengthen cybersecurity defences.
China has denied the allegations, calling them disinformation. Meanwhile, a Senate subcommittee hearing on December 11 will focus on the risks posed by such cyber threats and explore ways to protect US communications infrastructure.
The UK faces an escalating cyber threat from hostile states and criminal gangs, according to Richard Horne, head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). In his first major speech, Horne warned that the severity of these risks is being underestimated, citing a significant rise in cyber incidents, particularly from Russia and China. He described Russia’s cyber activity as ‘aggressive and reckless’ while noting that China’s operations are highly sophisticated with growing global ambitions.
Over the past year, the NCSC responded to 430 cyber incidents, a marked increase from the previous year. Among them, 12 were deemed especially severe, a threefold rise from 2023. The agency highlighted the growing threats to critical infrastructure and supply chains, urging both public and private sectors to strengthen their cyber defences. The UK also faces a growing number of ransomware attacks, often originating from Russia, which target key organisations like the British Library and healthcare services.
Horne emphasised the human costs of cyber-attacks, citing how these incidents disrupt vital services like healthcare and education. The rise in ransomware, often linked to Russian criminal gangs, is a major concern, and the NCSC is working to address these challenges. The agency’s review also pointed to increasing cyber activity from China, Iran, and North Korea, with these states targeting the UK’s infrastructure and private sector.
Experts like Professor Alan Woodward of Surrey University echoed Horne’s concerns, urging the UK to step up its cybersecurity efforts to keep pace with evolving threats. With adversaries growing more sophisticated, the government and businesses must act swiftly to protect the country’s digital infrastructure.
The initiative, announced in October 2024, brings together the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) to address growing risks to submarine cables, facilitating over 99% of global data transmission.
The initiative follows high-profileincidents, including damage to undersea cables and will prioritise enhancing cable security, promoting global best practices, and expediting repairs. With around 150 to 200 cable damage incidents annually—mainly due to ship anchors, fishing activities, and natural disasters—the ICPC highlights the urgency of coordinated action.
Officials from Nigeria and Portugal will co-chair the 40-member advisory body. Scheduled to convene twice a year, the body’s first meeting will occur virtually in December, followed by an in-person session in Abuja, Nigeria, in February.
Submarine cable disruptions have significant consequences. Earlier this year, outages from cable cuts in Africa left 13 countries offline for days, while damage in the Red Sea caused widespread internet disruption in the Middle East.
The French government has initiated negotiations to acquire the advanced computing unit of IT firm Atos for €500M. This move seeks to safeguard critical technologies supporting the military and intelligence sectors. The agreement, which includes an initial payment of €150M, could rise to €625Mwith additional performance-based payouts. Atos’ advanced computing and cybersecurity operations generate €900M annually and employ 4,000 people.
Once a European tech leader, Atos has faced financial difficulties, with its survival hinging on an accelerated restructuring plan. The French state, emphasising national sovereignty, aims to maintain control over strategic assets. Finance Minister Antoine Armand stated that protecting key industrial activities is essential for ensuring the country’s security and independence.
The proposed deal reflects growing government interest in Atos’ assets, with nationalisation also being considered. Despite years of financial struggles, Atos shares surged 160% following the announcement, reflecting renewed investor optimism about its recovery and restructuring efforts.
Chinese big tech companies have emerged as some of the most influential players in the global technology landscape, driving innovation and shaping industries across the board. These companies are deeply entrenched in everyday life in China, offering a wide range of services and products that span e-commerce, social media, gaming, cloud computing, ΑΙ, and telecommunications. Their influence is not confined to China, they also play a significant role in global markets, often competing directly with US tech giants.
The rivalry between China and the US has become one of the defining geopolitical struggles of the 21st century. This competition oscillates between cooperation, fierce competition, and confrontation, influenced by regulatory policies, national security concerns, and shifting political priorities. The geopolitical pendulum of China-US tech firms, totally independent from the US election outcome, reflects the broader tensions between the two powers, with profound implications for global tech industries, innovation, and market dynamics.
The Golden Shield Project
In 2000, under Chairman Jiang Zemin’s leadership, China launched the Golden Shield Project to control media and information flow within the country. The initiative aimed to safeguard national security and restrict the influence of Western propaganda. As part of the Golden Shield, many American tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Netflix were blocked by the Great Firewall for not complying with China’s data regulations, while companies like Microsoft and LinkedIn were allowed to operate.
At the same time, China’s internet user base grew dramatically, reaching 800 million netizens by 2018, with 98% using mobile devices. This rapid expansion provided a fertile ground for Chinese tech firms, which thrived without significant competition from foreign players. Among the earliest beneficiaries of this system were the BATX companies, which capitalised on China’s evolving internet landscape and rapidly established a dominant presence in the market.
The powerhouses of Chinese tech
The major Chinese tech companies, often referred to as the Big Tech of China, include Alibaba Group, Tencent, Baidu, ByteDance, Huawei, Xiaomi, JD.com, Meituan, Pinduoduo, and Didi Chuxing.
Alibaba Group is a global e-commerce and technology conglomerate, operating platforms such as Taobao and Tmall for e-commerce, AliExpress for international retail, and Alipay for digital payments. The company also has significant investments in cloud computing with Alibaba Cloud and logistics.
Tencent, a massive tech conglomerate, is known for its social media and entertainment services. It owns WeChat, a widely used messaging app that offers payment services, social media features, and more. Tencent also has investments in gaming, owning major stakes in Riot Games, Epic Games, and Activision Blizzard, as well as interests in financial services and cloud computing.
Baidu, often called China’s Google, is a leading search engine provider. In addition to its search services, Baidu has a strong presence in AI development, autonomous driving, and cloud computing, particularly focusing on natural language processing and autonomous vehicles.
ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, has made a name for itself in short-form video content and AI-driven platforms. It also operates Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, along with Toutiao, a popular news aggregation platform. ByteDance has expanded into gaming, e-commerce, and other AI technologies.
Huawei is a global leader in telecommunications equipment and consumer electronics, particularly smartphones and 5G infrastructure. The company is deeply involved in cloud computing and AI, despite facing significant geopolitical challenges.
Xiaomi is a leading smartphone manufacturer that also produces smart home devices, wearables, and a wide range of consumer electronics. The company is growing rapidly in the Internet of Things (IoT) space and AI-driven products.
JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, operates similarly to Alibaba, focusing on direct sales, logistics, and tech solutions. JD.com has also made significant strides in robotics, AI, and logistics technology.
Meituan is best known for its food delivery and local services platform, offering everything from restaurant reservations to hotel bookings. The company also operates in sectors like bike-sharing, travel, and ride-hailing.
Pinduoduo has rapidly grown in e-commerce by focusing on group buying and social commerce, particularly targeting lower-tier cities and rural markets in China. The platform offers discounted products to users who buy in groups.
Didi Chuxing is China’s dominant ride-hailing service, offering various transportation services such as ride-hailing, car rentals, and autonomous driving technology.
But what are the BATX companies we mentioned earlier?
BAXT
The term BATX refers to a group of the four dominant Chinese tech companies: Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and Xiaomi. These companies are central to China’s technology landscape and are often compared to the US “FAANG” group (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) because of their major influence across a range of industries, including e-commerce, search engines, social media, gaming, ΑΙ and telecommunications. Together, BATX companies are key players in shaping China’s tech ecosystem and have a significant impact on global markets.
China’s strategy for tech growth
China’s technology development strategy has proven effective in propelling the country to the forefront of several high-tech industries. This ambitious approach, which involves broad investments across both large state-owned enterprises and smaller private startups, has fostered significant innovation and created a competitive business environment. As a result, it has the potential to serve as a model for other countries looking to stimulate tech growth.
A key driver of China’s success is its diverse investment strategy, supported by government-led initiatives like the “Made in China 2025” and the “Thousand Talents Plan“. These programs offer financial backing and attract top talent from around the globe. This inclusive approach has helped China rapidly emerge as a global leader in fields like AI, robotics, and semiconductors. However, critics argue that the strategy may be overly aggressive, potentially stifling competition and innovation.
Some have raised concerns that China’s government support unfairly favours domestic companies, providing subsidies and other advantages that foreign competitors do not receive. Yet, this type of protectionist approach is not unique to China; other countries have implemented similar strategies to foster the growth of their own industries.
Another critique is that China’s broad investment model may encourage risky ventures and the subsidising of failures, potentially leading to a market that is oversaturated with unprofitable businesses. While this criticism holds merit in some cases, the overall success of China’s strategy in cultivating a dynamic and competitive tech landscape remains evident.
Looking ahead, China’s technology development strategy is likely to continue evolving. As the country strengthens its position on the global stage, it may become more selective in its investments, focusing on firms with the potential for global leadership.
In any case, China’s strategy has shown it can drive innovation and foster growth. Other nations hoping to advance their technological sectors should take note of this model and consider implementing similar policies to enhance their own competitive and innovative business environments.
But under what regulatory framework does Chinese tech policy ultimately operate? How does it affect the whole project? Are there some negative effects of the tight state grip?
China’s regulatory pyramid: Balancing control and consequences
China’s regulatory approach to its booming tech sector is defined by a precarious balance of authority, enforcement, and market response. Angela Zhang, author of High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy, proposes a “dynamic pyramid model” to explain the system’s intricate dynamics. This model highlights three key features: hierarchy, volatility, and fragility.
The top-down structure of China’s regulatory system is a hallmark of its hierarchy. Regulatory agencies act based on directives from centralised leadership, creating a paradox. In the absence of clear signals, agencies exhibit inaction, allowing industries to flourish unchecked. Conversely, when leadership calls for stricter oversight, regulators often overreach. A prime example of this is the drastic shift in 2020 when China moved from years of leniency toward its tech giants to implementing sweeping crackdowns on firms like Alibaba and Tencent.
This erratic enforcement underscores the volatility of the system. Chinese tech regulation is characterised by cycles of lax oversight followed by abrupt crackdowns, driven by shifts in political priorities. The 2020 – 2022 crackdown, which involved antitrust investigations and record-breaking fines, sent shockwaves through markets, wiping out billions in market value. While the government eased its stance in 2022, the uncertainty created by such pendulum swings has left investors wary, with many viewing the Chinese market as unpredictable and risky.
Despite its intentions to address pressing issues like antitrust violations and data security, China’s heavy-handed regulatory approach often results in fragility. Rapid interventions can undermine confidence, stifle innovation, and damage the very sectors the government seeks to strengthen. Years of lax oversight exacerbate challenges, leaving regulators with steep issues to address and markets vulnerable to overcorrection.
This model offers a lens into the broader governance dynamics in China. The system’s centralised control and reactive policies aim to maintain stability but often generate unintended economic consequences. As Chinese tech firms look to expand overseas amid domestic challenges, the long-term impact of these regulatory cycles remains uncertain, potentially influencing China’s ability to compete on the global stage.
The battle for tech supremacy between the USA and China
The incoming US President Donald Trump is expected to adopt a more aggressive, unilateral approach to counter China’s technological growth, drawing on his history of quick, broad measures such as tariffs. Under his leadership, the USA is likely to expand export controls and impose tougher sanctions on Chinese tech firms. Trump’s advisors predict a significant push to add more companies to the US Entity List, which restricts US firms from selling to blacklisted companies. His administration might focus on using tariffs (potentially up to 60% on Chinese imports) and export controls to pressure China, even if it strains relations with international allies.
The escalating tensions have been further complicated by China’s retaliatory actions. In response to US export controls, China has targeted American companies like Micron Technology and imposed its own restrictions on essential materials for chipmaking and electric vehicle production. These moves highlight the interconnectedness of both economies, with the US still reliant on China for critical resources such as rare earth elements, which are vital for both technology and defence.
This intensifying technological conflict reflects broader concerns over data security, military dominance, and leadership in AI and semiconductors. As both nations aim to protect their strategic interests, the tech war is set to continue evolving, with major consequences for global supply chains, innovation, and the international balance of power in technology.
French IT giant Atos has entered discussions with the government for a potential €500 million ($524 million) acquisition of its advanced computing division. Known for its crucial role in securing communications for the French military and manufacturing supercomputer servers, Atos is restructuring to address its mounting debt. The government has prioritised retaining control over the company’s strategic technology assets to safeguard national interests.
The proposed deal includes an initial payment of €150 million upon signing, expected before the exclusivity period ends on May 31. The offer could rise to €625 million with performance-based earn-outs. French Finance Minister Antoine Armand emphasised the state’s duty to ensure the survival and development of industries critical to national sovereignty. Atos’ advanced computing and cybersecurity unit, employing 4,000 people and generating €900 million annually, is seen as a vital asset.
As part of its restructuring, Atos announced plans to sell its cybersecurity unit’s Critical Systems and Cyber Products. With this deal factored in, the company forecasts its financial leverage for 2027 to be between 1.8 and 2.1 times core earnings. Meanwhile, France‘s parliament is considering an amendment that could pave the way for Atos’ nationalisation, underscoring the government’s commitment to protecting key technologies.
Nvidia reported a staggering $19B in net income last quarter but faced questions about sustaining its rapid growth amid shifts in AI development methods. Analysts questioned CEO Jensen Huang on how Nvidia’s position might evolve with trends like ‘test-time scaling,’ a method that enhances AI responses by increasing computing power during inference, the phase when AI generates answers.
Huang described test-time scaling as a groundbreaking development and emphasised Nvidia’s readiness to support it. He noted that while most of the company’s focus remains on pretraining AI models, the growing emphasis on inference could transform the AI landscape. Nvidia’s dominance in pretraining has propelled its stock up 180% this year, but competition in AI inference is heating up, with startups like Groq and Cerebras offering alternative chip solutions.
Despite concerns about diminishing returns from traditional AI scaling, Huang remains optimistic, asserting that foundational AI development continues to advance. He reiterated Nvidia’s advantage as the largest AI inference platform globally, citing the company’s scale and reliability as critical factors in maintaining its edge.
Australia has raised concerns about the growing number of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, with over 11% of reported incidents last year targeting essential services like electricity, water, transport, and education. The Australian Signals Directorate’s latest report highlights state-sponsored actors and cybercriminals as key threats, employing advanced techniques such as phishing, brute-force attacks, and exploiting public-facing systems.
Defence Minister Richard Marles warned of an increasing focus on critical infrastructure by both criminal groups and foreign governments. Australia has attributed cyber incidents to countries including China, Russia, and Iran, with China allegedly shifting from espionage to disruptive cyber operations. Beijing has denied these accusations, dismissing them as baseless.
The report underscores the evolving cyber landscape and the urgent need for bolstered defences to safeguard Australia’s essential systems.
Governments across Africa should increase the protection of fibre optic cables from theft and vandalism, while also aligning regulations to boost tech infrastructure development, according to a Google executive. Charles Murito, Google’s head of government relations and public policy in Africa, emphasised the need to classify fibre cables as critical infrastructure, which would ensure severe consequences for those who damage them. Theft and vandalism targeting batteries, generators, and cables have driven up costs for infrastructure providers.
Murito, speaking at the Africa Tech conference, highlighted Google’s investments in subsea cables, including Equiano, connecting Africa with Europe, and the upcoming Umoja cable linking Africa and Australia. He stressed that better protections and regulatory harmonisation could make the continent more appealing to tech investors. Industry leaders agree that such measures are essential to encouraging business expansion in Africa.
Additionally, Murito has called for more infrastructure sharing among internet service providers to reduce data costs. The diverse regulations across African nations concerning permissions for cable installations hinder the expansion of fibre networks. Although South Africa‘s authorities have acknowledged the issue, urging law enforcement to act and proposing legal updates, fibre optic cables have yet to receive a new critical classification.
A US congressional commission has proposed a bold initiative modeled on the Manhattan Project to accelerate the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) that could rival or surpass human intelligence. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships to drive technological innovation as competition with China intensifies. However, the panel provided no specific funding plans in its annual report.
Commissioner Jacob Helberg highlighted China’s rapid advancements in AGI, warning of potential shifts in global power dynamics. Addressing infrastructure bottlenecks, he suggested streamlining regulations for data centres as a step to accelerate AI progress. Tech leaders like OpenAI have also advocated for increased government investment in AI to maintain global competitiveness.
Beyond AI, the USCC report included recommendations to tighten trade regulations, particularly by ending the “de minimis” exemption that allows duty-free imports under $800. Commissioner Kimberly Glas underscored the challenge of inspecting the overwhelming volume of such shipments, which she claimed serve as a channel for unregulated Chinese goods, including dangerous materials. Proposals to curb this exemption have sparked bipartisan debate, though legislative progress has been hampered by industry opposition and political gridlock.
