Chinese AI firms evade US restrictions with overseas data centers
Chinese AI companies are getting creative to get around US restrictions on advanced computer chips. Instead of trying to import high-end hardware directly into China, they're sending huge data sets to places like Malaysia and renting NVIDIA-powered servers there. This lets them keep building powerful AI models without running into the usual roadblocks.
Southeast Asia is quickly becoming a key player in global AI development
To pull this off, engineers spend weeks prepping data before it leaves China, then set up local offices in Malaysia to stay under the radar. Once there, all that data is processed in Malaysian data centers—helping them sidestep strict shipping controls in Southeast Asia. With more and more data centers popping up across the region, Southeast Asia is quickly becoming a key player in global AI development—even helping Chinese firms snag servers originally meant for US companies.