No Priors AI China Stealing U.S. CPU IP Exposed
Nov 24, 2025
Explore how China has been quietly acquiring U.S. tech through systematic IP theft. Delve into the ASML engineer case, revealing advanced lithography replication methods. Discover the intricacies of GPU smuggling and the legal evasions linked to shell companies. The podcast examines the weaknesses in U.S. supply chains and China's strategic responses to export controls. It also highlights the importance of chip technology in national power, emphasizing the implications for global geopolitics and tech ecosystems.
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ASML Engineer Walked Out With Know‑How
- Zanshan Yu left ASML in 2012 carrying critical know-how rather than physical machines.
- He reappeared in China as CEO of an ASML-clone firm allegedly backed by stolen IP and government support.
Exploiting Supply‑Chain Choke Points
- China studied global supply chains to find single choke points and dependencies.
- They then exploited those gaps by targeting the makers, bottlenecks, and middlemen in the ecosystem.
Industrial‑Scale GPU Smuggling Rings
- Smugglers moved NVIDIA A100s and H100s through shell companies and intermediaries across Southeast Asia.
- Rings successfully shipped hundreds of accelerators and full supercomputers using disguised paperwork and freight channels.