Authoritarian strategies

Biden administration concerned about U.S. investments in Chinese tech companies with military or surveillance ties

09.18.23

In 2020, a fast-rising artificial intelligence company in China won a little-noticed contract from a Chinese military academy to provide battlefield command software — technology that defense experts say could become part of the military’s operational network.

Biden administration concerned about U.S. investments in Chinese tech companies with military or surveillance ties

In 2020, a fast-rising artificial intelligence company in China won a little-noticed contract from a Chinese military academy to provide battlefield command software — technology that defense experts say could become part of the military’s operational network.

A few months later, Goldman Sachs invested in the Beijing-based company, helping it raise $700 million, according to the company, 4Paradigm. So did Sequoia Capital China, a Chinese affiliate of the prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, which markets funds that draw investment from U.S. university endowments and charitable trusts.

There was nothing illegal about those investments in 4Paradigm, a seven-year-old start-up whose foray into artificial intelligence has been so successful it has plans to soon go public.

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