Are export controls aimed at the right layer?

Washington has fought the AI race at the chip, while China secured the layers beneath and around it; packaging, memory, software and electricity. These pieces trace each layer through filings and customs rules, and the record shows which of their calls held.

18pieces

39133words of analysis

5to start with

One chip, seven stops · 53 seconds

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18 pieces, in the order they were written

Each dot is one piece, placed on its publication date. The path below walks through the ones to read first.

1 of 5 · The Pacific Divide · Aug 12, 2025

The 4 Billion Yuan Question: Decoding China's Cambricon and the New State Capitalism Playbook

How an AI Chip "Unicorn" Reveals China's Semiconductor Sovereignty Strategy and Why the West Should Pay Attention

Read on The Pacific Divide

2 of 5 · The Pacific Divide · Feb 6, 2026

Everyone Pays Samsung

How the AI Arms Race Became a $1.4 Trillion Transfer of Wealth to Korean Memory Manufacturers.

Read on The Pacific Divide

3 of 5 · The Pacific Divide · Mar 31, 2026

China's AI Strategy Is Four Layers Deep. U.S. Export Controls Address One.

Six Chinese-language government documents show what Washington examines as separate programs is a single integrated strategy.

Read on The Pacific Divide

4 of 5 · China Brief · Apr 7, 2026

The Chip Packaging IP That Export Controls Cannot Reach

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5 of 5 · The Pacific Divide · Sep 25, 2026

China Published Its Chip Weak Spots; Washington Hasn't Read Them

Beijing's customs rules track the few packaging tools it still has to import, and they show the cost of a break over Taiwan falling on both hardware and software.

Read on The Pacific Divide

Everything on this question

Sep 25, 2026China Published Its Chip Weak Spots; Washington Hasn't Read ThemBeijing's customs rules track the few packaging tools it still has to import, and they show the cost of a break over Taiwan falling on both hardware and software.The Pacific Divide

Sep 13, 2026The Wrong ApocalypseThey said AI might kill us. Then they asked for a chip sanction China already refused.Monday letter

May 15, 2026The CUDA Moat Is Real and China Doesn't Need ItSubscribersChinese primary sources reveal another layer of the AI competition that US export controls don't reach.The Pacific Divide

Apr 7, 2026The Chip Packaging IP That Export Controls Cannot ReachChina Brief

Mar 31, 2026China's AI Strategy Is Four Layers Deep. U.S. Export Controls Address One.SubscribersSix Chinese-language government documents show what Washington examines as separate programs is a single integrated strategy.The Pacific Divide

Feb 6, 2026Everyone Pays SamsungSubscribersHow the AI Arms Race Became a $1.4 Trillion Transfer of Wealth to Korean Memory Manufacturers.The Pacific Divide

Jan 27, 2026The Energy Policy Both Superpowers Are Hiding From YouSubscribersTwo themes dominated Davos this year. AI and energy.The Pacific Divide

Jan 2, 2026Warren Thinks She's Winning the Chip War. China's Fighting a Different One.SubscribersThe Pacific Divide

Sep 12, 2025The Supply Chain Battle You Haven't Heard AboutSubscribersThe Pacific Divide

Aug 15, 2025Paper Tigers or Hidden Dragons?SubscribersA comprehensive analysis between 3 emerging Chinese tech companies and their Western counterpartsThe Pacific Divide

Aug 12, 2025The 4 Billion Yuan Question: Decoding China's Cambricon and the New State Capitalism PlaybookSubscribersHow an AI Chip "Unicorn" Reveals China's Semiconductor Sovereignty Strategy and Why the West Should Pay AttentionThe Pacific Divide

Aug 8, 2025The Quiet Economic Attack No One Is TrackingSubscribersHow China Weaponized Electricity Pricing to Win the AI War Before It StartedThe Pacific Divide

Aug 5, 2025I Found China's Secret AI Power Source. They Hid It in Plain Sight.SubscribersAn Investigation by The Pacific DivideThe Pacific Divide

Jul 22, 2025The AI Bottleneck China ControlsSubscribers(And Congress Ignores)The Pacific Divide

Jul 1, 2025Code RedSubscribersWhy China's Chip Breakthrough Could End America's Tech Dominance ForeverThe Pacific Divide

May 30, 2025America Is 20x Behind China in AI Infrastructure.We Just Told NSF How to Fix ItThe Pacific Divide

May 27, 2025The Chinese Document That Changes Everything About AI CompetitionHow 统一调度 Reveals a New Form of Digital PowerThe Pacific Divide

September 2026The AI Policy RaceThe roundtable deck on export controls and national securityDeck