Today’s Focus: Has the U.S. really loosened restrictions on exporting Nvidia’s H200 chips? Tough criticism of Europe, a change in the situation? Global first, Australia bans the use of social media for those under 16!
Guests on this episode: Professor Xie Tian from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina and senior media figure Mr. Li Su; Hosts: Jin Shi, Fu Yao.
On December 8, U.S. President Trump announced the permission for Nvidia’s H200 chips to be exported to the Chinese market. During a temporary truce in the U.S.-China trade war, allowing the export of such advanced chips, what impact will this have on U.S.-China trade and technological competition? Next, let’s connect with Washington correspondent Zhang Liang to introduce the specifics of this policy.
Regarding Trump’s permission for Nvidia to export H200 chips to China, we would like to ask our guests for their comments.
Professor Xie, the H200 is Nvidia’s second most advanced chip, only behind the Blackwell and Rubin chips just mentioned by Zhang Liang. Are you not concerned that allowing such high-level chips to be exported to China could impact U.S. national security? Additionally, according to the Financial Times, China may restrict Chinese companies from purchasing Nvidia’s H200 chips. What is your view on China’s stance in this regard?
Another news of interest is the streaming media giant Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Entertainment, with new developments. Zhang Liang, could you further introduce the latest situation for us?
Let’s first talk about the U.S. political news site Politico’s interview with Trump. Politico selected Trump as the most influential figure in shaping European politics for the next year on Tuesday. This is an annual selection by Politico, with previous winners including Zelensky, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and Hungarian Prime Minister Orban. This is the first time Politico has awarded this title to a U.S. president.
Therefore, the interview started with Trump’s attitude towards Europe. Trump bluntly stated that Europe is currently “weak” and too focused on “political correctness.”
Trump criticized European countries’ immigration policies, which have allowed a large influx of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa into Europe. Trump stated that without changing border policies, some European countries may no longer be nations.
Trump specifically pointed out that the two major cities, London and Paris, are collapsing under the pressure of immigration. He mentioned that due to the influx of immigrants, London elected a “terrible” Muslim mayor.
Trump said that in future European elections, he will support candidates he likes and whose ideas align with his own, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Orban.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump admitted that Russia currently has the upper hand. He expressed little hope in European leaders being able to end the war, as they talk but do not produce results, while the war continues unabated.
When asked if Ukraine should hold elections, Trump answered yes, as they have not had elections for a long time, “they keep talking about democracy, but now it is rapidly becoming not democratic.”
We know that due to the ongoing war, Ukraine has declared martial law and canceled the presidential elections scheduled for 2024. Recently, due to a corruption scandal within Zelensky’s cabinet, the credibility of Zelensky’s government has been undermined once again.
What we just discussed is the main content related to Europe in Trump’s interview. Trump’s attitude displayed and the assertions in the “National Security Strategy” released by the U.S. last week are basically the same, both criticizing the current political direction of European allies.
Mr. Li Su, for over 70 years since World War II, the U.S. has been a staunch ally of Europe, not only in military and economics, but also in terms of ideology and values. However, under the leadership of the Trump administration, there have been significant differences between the U.S. and Europe, and Trump’s criticisms of Europe are not mild. How do you view this phenomenon and trend?
Professor Xie, some critics argue that Trump does not criticize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the threats posed by the authoritarian regime of China, but instead criticizes his own European allies. They believe this could embolden dictators’ ambitions and be detrimental to global freedom and peace. What is your perspective on this viewpoint?
Follow-up: Are you concerned that if there is a rift in U.S.-Europe relations, it will affect the efforts of the free world against new axis countries such as China, Russia, and North Korea?
In Politico’s interview, Trump also mentioned Latin America. Trump once again refused to rule out deploying U.S. ground forces to overthrow the Maduro government in Venezuela. There have been recent reports that the Trump administration is planning how to overthrow the Maduro government.
The Trump administration has recently increased its activities in the Western Hemisphere, including deploying significant military forces in the Caribbean Sea, increasing efforts to combat drug trafficking, and more. The newly released National Security Strategy also invokes the “Monroe Doctrine,” prioritizing the Western Hemisphere, i.e., the Americas region, as Washington’s top strategic focus, followed by Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
However, we know that the Americas are not the greatest source of threats to the U.S.
Mr. Li Su, why does Trump prioritize the Americas over the Indo-Pacific region in his global strategic layout (at least in the text of the national strategy)? Is this a sign of the U.S. shifting from a global leader to a more isolationist stance?
In the Southern Hemisphere, Australians woke up yesterday to find the rules had changed. This was because in the early hours of the 10th, a ban came into effect.
According to this new law, the top ten mainstream platforms need to implement usage controls for individuals under 16, which had been enacted in November of last year as the “Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024.” The law prohibits those under 16, including teenagers and children, from using social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X, Reddit, Threads, and Facebook, requiring related social media companies to take “reasonable measures.”
The ban aims to give Australian children “more time to be kids,” engaging in face-to-face conversations, outdoor play, rather than staring at screens. This is seen as a return to a “childhood without social media,” emphasizing family and community connections. Prime Minister Albanese stated, “Australian children will have more time to do what kids should do, and parents can be more at ease.”
The Australian government believes that social media can lead to addiction, cyberbullying, and mental health issues among children, hence the introduction of this ban. The official effective date of the ban is December 10, 2025, coinciding with the first day of summer vacation after the end of the Australian school term.
Two 15-year-old teenagers promptly filed a legal lawsuit with the Australian High Court, arguing that this legislation deprived them of their freedom of communication. However, the new law has garnered praise from many parents and children’s advocates.
Similar legislation is also being advanced in various countries. In Europe, Norway is considering raising the age limit for accessing social media platforms to 15, currently set at 13, while Denmark is also contemplating similar legislation. The UK is considering whether to limit children’s time using social media, although many citizens are urging the UK to expedite related bans.
In the U.S., Florida had previously banned those under 14 from using social media, but this ban was later deemed a “violation of free speech” by a federal judge, leading to the halt of the ban, a similar situation occurred in Utah.
Professor Xie, from your perspective as an educator, how do you view this new Australian law? What are the controversies surrounding it? What changes might it bring?
Mr. Li Su, do you think this legislation can truly prevent children under 16 from using social media entirely?
Mr. Li Su, Australia is leading the way in combating the effects of social media, bearing the pressure as a global litmus test. Do you think more countries will follow suit in the future?
Professor Xie, in modern society, if we want technology to be human-centric, is a social media ban sufficient? What complementary measures are needed to truly allow humanity to return to a more traditional way of life, fostering better interactions between people, nature, and technology?
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