US–China AI competition stories

Oct 21, 2026

US sanctions five Chinese firms tied to ex-Google engineer accused of AI trade secrets theft

The Trump administration imposed sanctions under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act on five Chinese entities connected to Linwei Ding, a former Google engineer convicted of stealing AI-related trade secrets. Beijing expressed firm opposition to the sanctions, which target companies including Shanghai Zhisuan Technology and a venture firm established by ex-Microsoft AI scientist Lu Qi.

Oct 21, 20267 sources

Top claims

▪Chinese venture capital firm MiraclePlus, established by former Microsoft AI scientist Lu Qi as the successor to Y Combinator's Chinese program, provided $700,000 in seed financing to Shanghai Zhisuan Technology for a 7 percent stake.
▪The U.S. State Department designated three MiraclePlus-linked entities—including two capital funds and Beijing Qiji Chuangtan Zhiyuan Enterprise Management Center Limited Partnership—for providing financial and material support to Shanghai Zhisuan Technology.
▪China's Commerce Ministry stated that Chinese artificial intelligence developments stem from long-term basic research and independent technological innovation rather than trade secret theft.

Subtopics

AI misuse1 AI security1 China tech & industrial strategy1 Economic Sanctions1 National security1 Trump administration1 U.S.–China relations1

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