US-China Tech Tensions: How Corporate Compliance Feeds Militarisation in Global Supply Chains | 2026 Analysis
Original framing: “US Accuses Alibaba, Baidu, BYD of Aiding Chinese Military | The China Show 6/9/2026” — Bloomberg
Scientific literature on dual-use technology confirms that civilian AI systems (e.g., computer vision, natural language processing) are inherently militarisable due to their modularity and scalability. Studies show that export controls and corporate compliance regimes are ineffective at preventing militarisation, as firms often rebrand or relocate operations to circumvent restrictions. The scientific consensus underscores the need for open-source alternatives and decentralised governance to mitigate risks.
The US-China tech tensions over Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD are a symptom of a deeper systemic crisis: the militarisation of civilian AI under neoliberal globalisation, where state security agendas are outsourced to private firms operating across porous regulatory borders.
This dynamic is not unique to the US and China; it reflects a global pattern where export controls and corporate compliance regimes fail to prevent dual-use innovation, instead creating a shadow economy of militarised tech. Indigenous and Global South perspectives reveal how this securitisation disrupts relational ethics and ecological stewardship, while marginalised voices—from Uyghur activists to African developers—bear the brunt of its consequences. The solution lies not in bilateral sanctions or corporate scapegoating, but in decentralised governance models that redistribute power over AI development, such as community cooperatives and cross-border treaties grounded in non-Western epistemologies. The trickster’s insight—Hermes’ dual role as thief and messenger—highlights the absurdity of framing AI as purely civilian or military, when in reality, its militarisation is a feature of the system, not a bug.