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China's competition with the United States is moving into every corner of national power, and in this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, Ryan and Glenn break down how Beijing is fighting the next great geopolitical contest through artificial intelligence, military modernization, technology controls, and global influence.

The battle over AI is becoming one of the defining strategic competitions of the decade. While American companies are spending enormous sums building data centers and developing frontier models, Chinese companies are finding ways to compete with fewer resources. We explore how firms like Moonshot AI and others are trying to overcome restrictions on advanced chips, why China's efficiency-focused approach is attracting attention, and where Beijing still faces major limitations.

The episode also examines the growing fight over the infrastructure behind artificial intelligence. Washington is considering new restrictions on Chinese-made data center equipment, raising questions about supply chains, cybersecurity, and the future of US-China technology competition. From semiconductors to cloud computing, the rivalry is no longer just about who creates the best technology. It is about who controls the systems that power the modern economy.

Ryan and Glenn also dive into the latest developments involving Taiwan and the South China Sea. Taiwan is becoming more open about the depth of its security cooperation with the United States, while China continues using military pressure, maritime operations, and legal claims to challenge the regional status quo. The discussion explores Beijing's approach of combining coast guard activity, diplomacy, information operations, and military signaling to gradually expand influence without triggering a major conflict.

The episode looks at China's growing use of intelligence collection and gray-zone tactics, including concerns surrounding Chinese maritime activity near critical undersea cables connecting the United States, Taiwan, and the Philippines. As global competition increasingly moves into cyberspace, seabed infrastructure, and information networks, the definition of national security continues to expand.

On the military side, Ryan and Glenn examine China's latest demonstrations of advanced capabilities, including the DF-17 hypersonic glide weapon and artificial intelligence-enabled strike planning systems designed to accelerate battlefield decision-making. The focus is not just on individual weapons, but on China's broader effort to build a faster, more integrated military that can connect sensors, commanders, and weapons systems.

The episode also expands beyond the Indo-Pacific to explore China's growing economic influence overseas. A new port investment in Angola highlights Beijing's continued use of infrastructure projects to build strategic relationships and compete for access to critical resources.

From AI competition and semiconductor battles to Taiwan tensions, military modernization, cyber risks, and global influence campaigns, this episode breaks down the many fronts shaping the US-China rivalry. If you want to understand where the world is heading and why Beijing's strategy matters far beyond Asia, this is the briefing you need.

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