Compete

Chinese Start-Up Lands Reusable Rocket for the First Time

The New York Times
| August 19, 2026

CSET’s Kathleen Curlee shared her expert insight in an article published by The New York Times. The article examines how Chinese aerospace companies are making progress toward reusable rockets, potentially lowering launch costs and helping China compete with U.S. companies like SpaceX in the global space market.

CSET’s Sam Bresnick shared his expert insight in an article published by Reuters. The article examines how President Trump’s crypto-backed World Liberty Financial is collaborating with WorldClaw, an AI platform offering models from Chinese companies that the U.S. government has flagged for national security and intellectual property concerns

CSET’s Sam Bresnick shared his expert insight in an op-ed published by Barron’s. In his piece, he examines how the Trump administration’s AI strategy could affect U.S. competitiveness with China, particularly as the administration seeks to promote AI and semiconductor exports while addressing national security concerns.

CSET’s Helen Toner shared her expert insight in an article published by TIME. The article examines the race to automate AI research and the possibility that AI systems could increasingly accelerate their own development, raising concerns about how quickly AI progress may advance and whether researchers and policymakers can keep pace.

CSET’s Sam Bresnick shared his expert insight in an article published by Fortune. The article examines how uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s AI governance, combined with the lower cost and flexibility of Chinese AI models, is influencing businesses’ decisions and raising concerns about U.S. competitiveness and national security.

Nvidia’s China Partners and the PLA

The Wire China
| July 26, 2026

CSET’s Sam Bresnick shared his expert insight in an article published by The Wire China. The article examines how Nvidia’s network of partners in China has supplied organizations linked to China’s military and other U.S.-restricted entities, highlighting ongoing challenges in enforcing export controls on advanced AI technology.

CSET’s Sam Bresnick shared his expert insight in an article published by The Washington Post. The article explores how rapidly advancing Chinese AI models are narrowing the gap with leading U.S. models, creating new challenges for the Trump administration as it seeks to balance technological leadership, innovation, and security.

CSET’s Colin Shea-Blymyer shared his expert insight in an article published by Bloomberg. The article examines growing concerns in Washington over the use of "distillation" by Chinese AI companies to train models using outputs from leading US systems, and the resulting debate over intellectual property, competition, and national security in the global AI race.

CSET Executive Director Helen Toner spoke about the global AI competition at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

When cheap AI becomes a secret weapon

Politico
| June 30, 2026

CSET’s Sam Bresnick shared his expert insight in a newsletter segment published by Politico. The article examines the evolving U.S.–China AI competition, focusing on how cost-efficient Chinese AI models are beginning to gain traction globally and what that could mean for the long-term balance of technological and economic power in artificial intelligence.