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A ‘Huawei moment’ looms as US gears up to sell AI-in-a-box to South-east Asia

White House wants to make it as easy as possible to buy American AI, reviving the sharp US-China rivalry seen when the region began 5G roll-out.

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The logo of Huawei is seen at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Companies such as Huawei are engaged in expanding infrastructure, AI capability, talent and ecosystem development.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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 The Trump administration wants to make it as easy as possible for South-east Asia to buy American when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI).

That’s a key idea contained in the White House’s ambitious new AI-in-a-box initiative unveiled as part of an AI action plan on July 23.

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