China's new five-year AI blueprint collides with Gulf data center war risks and U.S. power squeeze

On Thursday, China unveiled a five-year technology roadmap that repeatedly emphasizes artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robots, and domestic chip progress as it seeks breakthroughs in core technologies. At the same time, conflict around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea is jeopardizing Gulf data centers and submarine cables that U.S. tech giants have heavily funded, while the U.S. also faces mounting political pressure over rising electricity costs linked to AI-driven power demand. The White House has pushed major tech firms to pledge new generation and grid investments, but past price increases and the Iran conflict raise doubts about whether consumer energy bills can be contained.