A Shenzhen supercomputer was declared the world’s fastest, giving China the crown for the first time since 2017 and further ratcheting up the transpacific tech rivalry.
The LineShine computer is notable not just for raw speed — it is about 20% faster than the California-based El Capitan, which has topped rankings since 2024 — but for using standard microprocessors, rather than the specialist GPUs that most supercomputers rely on.
US companies have long had a technological lead over Chinese rivals, but “in at least a few sectors, that equation has flipped,” The New York Times argued.
Batteries and solar panels are the most obvious examples, and China’s manufacturing advantage means it is now leading in robotics as well.