Data centre anger, bacon fight, Bill Gates’ AI warning: 7 US-China relations reads

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. Harvard, MIT among 30 US universities ordered to audit China research tiesPhoto: APHarvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University were among 30 American institutions ordered to audit their foreign research relationships, according to US officials, as higher education representatives accused the Pentagon of implying wrongdoing without publicly presenting evidence.Read the full story here.2. China vows to safeguard interests after ‘Economic D-Day’ sanctions over Iran tiesPhoto: ReutersBeijing condemned fresh US “Economic D-Day” sanctions imposed on mainland Chinese and Hong Kong entities over their ties to Iran, pledging “all necessary measures” to protect its interests.Read the full story here.3. Bill Gates warns of AI’s impact, urges the US and China to cooperatePhoto: TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images/TNSCooperation between the United States and China is required to manage the unprecedented societal impacts of rapidly advancing Artificial Intelligence technology, Bill Gates wrote in a new essay published in June.Read the full story here.4. Trump says China drives anger at US data centres. These residents disagreePhoto: HandoutMounting claims that China is to blame for data centre pushback in the US, fuelled by American President Donald Trump and his allies, have been met with denial and disbelief by residents of a Virginia town whose homes are now overshadowed by a diesel-powered monolith.Read the full story here.5. How China got caught in the crossfire of a US bacon fightPhoto: HandoutBehind the aggressive campaign against the Save Our Bacon Act, described in attack ads as “a giveaway to Chinese corporations”, lies a fight over how pigs are housed – and perhaps the latest example of China being weaponised in US domestic politics.SCMP Plus is a new premium news platform that gives you an all-inclusive edge to stay ahead on China news. To access our exclusive content you’ll need to subscribe.Already a subscriber?LOG INRead the full story here.6. US seizes Chinese hacking platforms targeting Nasa, Fed and SenatePhoto: ShutterstockThe Justice Department and the FBI said they had seized two Chinese state-sponsored online platforms that targeted US critical infrastructure and other critical networks, including Nasa, the Federal Reserve and the US Senate.Further ReadingRead the full story here.7. Golden Dome may not fully protect US from Chinese and Russian threats: expertsThe Trump administration’s Golden Dome concept is expected to identify incoming projectiles, calculate their trajectories, and deploy interceptor missiles to destroy them mid-flight. Photo: Lockheed MartinTrump’s ambitious plan to build a national missile defence system, dubbed the “Golden Dome”, may not be able to fully protect America but could accelerate the global arms race involving China, Russia and North Korea, according to experts.Read the full story here.