History
No explorations yet
How did the US-China trade war expand from tariffs to semiconductors, AI, and supply chains, and what's the current landscape?
Explore US-China Trade War through an interactive 3D knowledge map. This visual guide covers 9 key concepts and 9 relationships, helping you understand the topic structurally.
An economic hegemony contest that expanded from tariffs to tech, semiconductors, and AI
The US-China trade war began with Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports in 2018, but at its core it's a structural rivalry over technology supremacy and the global economic order.
The tit-for-tat tariff escalation that started in 2018
The Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on Chinese imports, and China retaliated with its own tariffs, sharply reducing bilateral trade volumes.
The movement to separate US and Chinese technology ecosystems
Beyond simple trade, the push to decouple supply chains in semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing. Also called 'de-risking' in diplomatic language.
US export controls on chips to China and the CHIPS Act
The US blocked China's access to advanced chips through Huawei sanctions, ASML equipment export bans, and the CHIPS Act, aiming to cut off China's frontier semiconductor capabilities.
US ban on Huawei and its ripple effects
Huawei's smartphone business was hit hard by US restrictions on advanced chip access, but it fought back by developing its own Kirin chip, marking China's push for self-sufficiency.
Global supply chain shifts to reduce China dependency
COVID + US-China tensions have driven companies to diversify production to Vietnam, India, Mexico, etc. This is called 'friendshoring' — relocating supply chains to allied nations.
US-China competition for AI technology leadership
The US restricts GPU exports to limit China's AI training capabilities. China responds with domestic AI models (DeepSeek, etc.) and homegrown GPUs, creating two diverging AI ecosystems.
The geopolitical linchpin of the semiconductor war
TSMC in Taiwan produces ~90% of the world's most advanced chips. This makes the semiconductor issue inseparable from Taiwan's geopolitical situation.
China's BRI vs US-led alliance economic blocs (AUKUS, QUAD)
China invests in developing nations' infrastructure through BRI, while the US counters with alliance blocs like AUKUS and QUAD, creating competing spheres of economic influence.