Trump dismisses concerns on China backing opposition to data centre projects in US
Washington, June 5
US President Donald Trump has downplayed concerns that China may be backing opposition to data centre projects in the United States, while saying relations between Washington and Beijing remain stable following recent talks.
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump rejected suggestions that Chinese influence campaigns targeting American technology infrastructure posed a significant threat.
Asked whether he was concerned that China was funding an anti-data centre movement in the United States, Trump replied: "No, I'm not worried about it."
The President pointed instead to recent diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
"We had a great meeting with China," Trump said. "And you know, they do things to us, and we do things to them."
Trump also brushed aside concerns about espionage and surveillance, suggesting that both countries possess sophisticated capabilities.
"They say, oh, are you worried about China tapping your phones?" Trump said. "I said, well, you know, they're worried about the same thing."
The remarks came as the administration continued to emphasise energy production and artificial intelligence as key components of US economic competitiveness.
Trump argued that access to abundant and reliable energy would determine success in the global race for AI leadership, a competition increasingly defined by rivalry between the United States and China.
"AI is a big deal," Trump said. "Without massive amounts of energy, you can't even play the game."
"We're leading China by a lot in AI," he added. "I was talking to President Xi about it."
Trump said one of the administration's priorities has been accelerating approvals for large energy and infrastructure projects needed to support the growth of artificial intelligence.
He praised Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin for speeding up regulatory reviews and said companies developing advanced AI facilities are increasingly being allowed to build dedicated power generation capacity.
"One of the biggest things we've done," Trump said, "is we let these geniuses with all this money build their own electric plant."
According to Trump, the policy is intended to ensure that large AI projects do not overwhelm existing electricity networks.
"They're building a plant, and at the same time they're building electricity," he said. "Because if we didn't do that, you couldn't have anything."
China also surfaced repeatedly during a broader discussion about energy policy. Trump used Beijing as an example while defending his administration's support for coal production and coal-fired power generation.
"If you look at China, if you look at so many of the successful countries, they're using coal," he said earlier in the event.
He further claimed that China continues to expand its coal infrastructure while exporting renewable-energy technologies abroad.
"China, by the way, last year, built 52 coal plants," Trump said.
US-China relations remain shaped by disputes over trade, technology, military influence and supply chains. Artificial intelligence has emerged as one of the most important fronts in that competition, with both governments investing heavily in computing infrastructure, semiconductor development and energy resources needed to power next-generation AI systems.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting how Trump claims AI dominance over China but then dismisses any potential threat. 😅 It's like saying 'I'm winning the race' while ignoring the car behind you. We should learn from this — India cannot afford to be casual about foreign influence in our own digital infrastructure, especially from China.
He's not wrong about one thing — energy is the real bottleneck for AI. In the US, getting permits for a power plant takes years. But the way he downplays China's influence is naive. Beijing doesn't need to fund anti-data centre protests; they just buy up the supply chains. India's semiconductor push is a much better strategy.
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Trump bragging about coal while China builds 52 coal plants in a year is peak irony. 😂 We in India are transitioning away from coal for a reason — pollution, health, and global warming. The US needs to walk the talk on clean energy, not use China as an excuse to keep burning dirty fuel. AI needs reliable, clean power, not more coal.
Respectful criticism here: Trump's 'we do things to them, they do things to us' attitude is a dangerous oversimplification. The US-China rivalry is not a schoolyard spat. Our companies, like many in India, have learned the hard way that Chinese tech can come with hidden surveillance through TikTok or Huawei. Data centres are national security assets. Period.
'Let these geniuses with all this
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.