US-China Tech Rivalry Shifts to Global South

China's Digital Silk Road (DSR), the technology-focused dimension of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a primary vehicle for exporting its tech standards. This initiative supports the global expansion of Chinese technology companies by financing and building digital infrastructure like cellular networks, undersea cables, and smart city projects in developing nations. The DSR aims to create a less US-centric global digital order and is aligned with national strategies like "Made in China 2025" and "China Standards 2035". Through the DSR, China has significantly expanded its technological footprint, particularly in Africa, where companies like Huawei and ZTE have built a substantial portion of the continent's 3G and 4G networks. For instance, Huawei is responsible for 70% of Africa's 4G networks. These infrastructure projects often serve as an entry point for a cascade of other contracts, embedding Chinese technology and standards into the local digital ecosystem. The competition extends to the governance of artificial intelligence, with the U.S. and China promoting contrasting models. China champions a state-led approach focused on "sovereign compute power" and data control, which it promotes in multilateral forums like the United Nations as a representative for the Global South. This approach is often attractive to governments in developing countries who are critical of Western tech companies' influence. The U.S., in contrast, advocates for a market-driven model centered on open innovation, private enterprise, and democratic alliances. In response to the DSR, the U.S. has launched initiatives like the Partnership for Global Infrastructure, a rebranding of the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative, to offer an alternative for financing technology and infrastructure projects. The U.S. government is also increasing its engagement in international standards development organizations and promoting public-private partnerships to bolster American leadership in setting standards for critical and emerging technologies. This includes legislation aimed at enhancing U.S. participation in international standards bodies. The battle for standards is also being fought within international bodies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). China has been accused of leveraging its position in the ITU to push for its domestic standards to be adopted internationally, which could disadvantage foreign companies operating in the Chinese market. This has led to concerns about a "splinternet," a fragmented internet with different systems governed by competing standards. Major Chinese tech companies like Huawei and ZTE are central to the DSR's implementation, often with state backing. These firms are not only building physical infrastructure but are also involved in developing smart city projects and providing surveillance technologies. For example, Huawei is building a National Cloud Data Center and surveillance system in Kenya's Konza Technology City. This integration of hardware and software further solidifies the adoption of Chinese technological ecosystems. The competition is not limited to terrestrial infrastructure. China has filed with the ITU to launch a massive low-Earth orbit satellite constellation, signaling its ambitions in space-based internet services. This move is part of a broader strategy to secure orbital and radio frequency resources, creating a new frontier for standards competition in satellite communications. This rivalry is forcing a strategic pivot from a focus on hardware to a focus on the underlying standards that govern technology ecosystems. Recent U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors, for instance, inadvertently created a protected market for Chinese alternatives like Huawei's Ascend chips and its CANN software ecosystem. This has pushed China to accelerate the development of its own standards to reduce long-term dependence on U.S. technology.