August 19th, 2025

USCSSO @GWU
2 days ago
3 min read

Overview

This week, we discuss the controversy surrounding Nvidia's latest line of computer chips and an athletic competition starring robotic athletes.

Technology

Beijing Urges Chinese Companies Not to Use Nvidia’s H20 Chips

By Vice President Ryan Peele

The Chinese government has reportedly cautioned Chinese companies against using Nvidia’s H20 chips, citing concerns for security and privacy.

A Nvidia Chip (via MarketWatch)

Chinese Cautioning: The Chinese government has reportedly urged major Chinese companies, such as Tencent and ByteDance, to not use Nvidia’s H20 semiconductor chips, which were recently approved for sale to China by the Trump administration. In the past few weeks, anonymous sources reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China issued notices to companies discouraging the use of the H20 chips, especially for government or security-related purposes, citing privacy concerns. Tencent, ByteDance, and Alibaba were reportedly even explicitly banned from purchasing H20 chips for two weeks.

Privacy Problems: Yuyuan Tentian, a CCTV-affiliated WeChat account, claimed that Nvidia’s chips could be a potential security risk, saying that they could potentially be remotely shut down through a backdoor. Nvidia denied these accusations, stating that the company prioritized the cybersecurity of its consumers. Nvidia’s H20 chips were effectively banned from being sold to China in April, but after meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, U.S. President Donald Trump reversed the export controls in July. As a condition of the agreement, Nvidia must give 15% of revenue from China sales to the U.S. government. American politicians on both sides of the aisle were concerned with the agreement, asserting that giving China access to American semiconductor chips would damage one of the United States’ critical advantages in the AI race. Trump, on the other hand, claimed that the H20’s processing power was weak compared to more advanced Nvidia models, and therefore would not significantly advance China’s AI development.

Tariff Troubles: The Chinese government reportedly encouraged the country’s firms to use Chinese semiconductor manufacturers, despite their inferior processing power, even compared to the H20. As a result, Chinese semiconductor manufacturers like Hua Hong have seen share prices rise within the past week. In recent months, Beijing has taken steps to encourage the growth of Chinese semiconductor companies, seeking to reduce their reliance on Taiwan and the United States. Although the U.S. and China recently agreed to extend a temporary trade war truce, a possible return to a 125% tariff on incoming U.S. goods has seemed to have encouraged the CCP to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical products such as semiconductors.

Entertainment

Beijing Hosts First Humanoid Robot Athletic Competition

By Newsletter Director Lindsey Spain

Beijing recently hosted the first-ever “World Humanoid Robot Games,” a three-day competition showcasing the abilities of humanoid athletes.

Unitree Robotics showcase boxing skills (via GettyImages)

Robotic Athletics: From August 15th to August 17th, Beijing played host to the inaugural “Humanoid Robot Games,” a competition displaying the athletic abilities of humanoid robots. Featuring more than 500 robots on 280 different teams from universities and private companies in 16 countries, robotic inventions exhibited varying degrees of athleticism and navigational ability. Events offered included track and field, soccer, and soccer, with some robots taking it a step further and competing in obstacle courses. During the track and field event, a robot by Hangzhou-based company Unitree Robotics plowed into a human staff member, knocking them down.

Humanoid Competition: The “Humanoid Robot Games” competition is the latest of several high-profile robotics displays in China this year. Organized by state media company China Media Group, the 2025 Spring Festival Gala featured a dance routine in which 16 humanoid robots danced alongside female human partners to a Chinese folk song. Designed by Unitree Robotics, the robots were decked out in festive red jackets and handkerchiefs while dancing to a three-minute song. In April, Beijing officials hosted robotic runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon, some of whom had to be supported by corresponding human runners. With a final time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, the winning robot was Tiangong Ultra from the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics.

Factory Automation: China’s manufacturing sector is being rapidly automated to maintain dominance in the global marketplace. With companies such as Unitree manufacturing robots able to operate under the supervision of skilled engineers and electricians, China is able to keep the prices of various exports lower amidst the ongoing trade war and U.S. President Donald Trump’s looming tariffs. China is the world's largest market for industrial robots, surpassing countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany with 470 robots per 10,000 employees. This booming growth shows no signs of slowing, with China having announced plans in March for a $139 billion fund to support technology startups.