Tianhe Exa-node Prototyp, a supercomputer developed by the National University of Defence Technology, has again come out on top in an international test of artificial intelligence (AI) computing efficiency. Tianhe is ranked at the top of the latest list of the world’s most power-efficient big data processing systems released this month, marking its second win since 2021. According to the international supercomputer rating platform, the Green Graph500 list collects performance-per-watt metrics for running large graphs to compare the energy consumption of the fastest supercomputers for data-intensive problems. The latest version of China’s home-grown supercomputer Tianhe Exa-node Prototype achieved 6,320 MTEPS/W, placing it at the top of the big data category of the Green Graph500 ranking. The performance metric – measured in million traversed edges per second per watt – assesses a computer’s ability to communicate information internally. It outperformed a previous Tianhe Exa-node Prototype, which achieved 4,385 MTEPS/W and was ranked first-runner-up, and Eniad, a supercomputer developed by the University of Pennsylvania that ranked third with 2,057 MTEPS/W.
Meanwhile, China is increasing its purchases of U.S. microchips in anticipation of possible higher tariffs and sanctions under the Trump Administration. Over the first 10 months of the year, China imported USD9.61 billion of microchips from the U.S., up 42.5% year-on-year. Since June, China’s monthly chip purchases have consistently surpassed USD1 billion. Of the nine categories of microchips imported from the U.S., China has been focusing primarily on buying CPU-based processors and controllers, as well as chips designed for storage and signal amplification. China continues to face challenges in developing more advanced chips. Huawei Technologies is still relying on the 7-nanometer architecture for its next two Ascend processors, as U.S. technology restrictions prevent the company from accessing more advanced lithography machines, the South China Morning Post reports.
John Moolenaar, Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on China, introduced the Restoring Trade Fairness Act earlier this month, which would end China’s permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status. Revoking China’s PNTR status would increase tariffs, upending a decades-long period of free trade that has shaped the global economy. Senator Marco Rubio, likely to be confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of State, has also advocated ending normal trade relations with China.
