Southeast Asia caught amid competing US and Chinese AI blocs
Concerns are growing that countries may be forced to pick sides, affecting security and businesses.
Read the original →Article digest · Oct 17 PM
AI & International Politics — what each story says
Every story in this issue with a short summary, so you can decide what to read before leaving the site. Summaries are written by AI (Claude) only from each publisher's own description and checked by Jev for anything not in that description. They are not full translations. Follow "Read the original" for the full story.
7 stories5 with summaries4 topics
🇺🇸 US–China rivalry3
China says it will curb tech exports, including AI, citing national security risks
The proposal came as China and the U.S. made progress in dialogues over AI safety and governance. They also advanced on setting up a notification mechanism between the two countries for AI incidents that could threaten national security.
Read the original →- Headlines only (the publisher did not provide a description)
- US-China trade truce extended as Trump-Xi summit turns to rare earths and AIwww.equiti.com · 10/16 20:14 UTC
🛡️ Security and the military1
North Korea says it tested new torpedo system with AI capabilities
North Korea says it has tested a new torpedo system that uses artificial intelligence for target detection and guidance. State media said on Friday the weapon was described as "super-speed".
Read the original →🇯🇵 Japan's diplomacy and AI2
Singapore caught between US and Chinese AI camps as forced choice upsets balanced diplomacy
Southeast Asian countries including Singapore are caught between the US and China over leadership in AI supply chains and standard-setting. Many have kept a balanced diplomacy with both sides, and concern is growing about being forced to choose. In December 2025 the US launched Pax Silica to build supply chains for AI, semiconductors and critical minerals, and more than twenty countries and regions including Japan and the UK signed.
Read the original →- Headlines only (the publisher did not provide a description)
- North Korea tests new AI-guided torpedo in underwater experiment, KCNA reportsReuters · 10/16 21:33 UTC
🔌 Export controls between states1
China plans to tighten export controls on open-weight models and 23 key AI technologies
China plans to restrict exports of 23 key AI technologies, including model weights, source code, and training methods for systems reaching 10^26 FLOPs or 2 trillion parameters. A fast-track rule will still clear open-source releases as soon as they are registered.
Read the original →The analysis and visual summary are in the Oct 17 PM issue. Japanese version here.