Tech's New Cold War: China Closes Chip Gap as Satellites 'Dogfight' in Orbit

The technological cold war between the U.S. and China is escalating on two critical fronts. New reports indicate Beijing is nearing semiconductor independence on the ground while its satellites are engaging in frequent close-quarters maneuvers with American assets in orbit.

According to Reuters, China has successfully developed an advanced chip-making machine, a breakthrough suggesting the nation is far closer to breaking Western dominance in the semiconductor industry than previously believed. This rapid progress is also fueling a new class of AI-era billionaires within the country, as Insider reports.

Simultaneously, the competition is heating up hundreds of miles above Earth. Clashes between U.S. and Chinese satellites have become so common that officials have dubbed the orbital jostling "dogfighting," the Washington Post reports. These maneuvers highlight the growing militarization of space and the strategic importance of orbital dominance.

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Washington appears to be responding to this intensified space race. NASA has appointed billionaire astronaut and Elon Musk ally Jared Isaacman as its new chief. The move is widely seen as an effort to accelerate U.S. space ambitions, including returning astronauts to the Moon before China achieves the same feat, according to the BBC.

Meanwhile, the societal impacts of technology continue to draw scrutiny. The parents of a teenager who died by suicide after being tricked in a sextortion scheme are now suing Meta, reports The Guardian, alleging the platform's role in the tragedy.