Sharp China with Bill Bishop (Preview) A Giant Mess with Super Micro; Completely Correct Xiong’an Progress; The PRC’s Balancing Act on Iran; Manus, Apple and Router News
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Mar 25, 2026 A deep dive into an indictment alleging diversion of high-end Nvidia servers and what it means for U.S. chip policy. A close look at China’s ambitious Xiong’an development and top leaders inspecting progress. Discussion of Beijing’s diplomatic balancing amid the Iran war and delayed U.S.-China talks. Quick hits on router bans, Apple-related tech news, and concerns about supply-chain enforcement.
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Large Scale Diversion Scheme Using Repackaging And Serial Tampering
- U.S. export-controlled NVIDIA GPUs were diverted using a multi-step repackaging and falsified-serials scheme.
- Servers shipped to Taiwan, routed to Southeast Asian intermediaries, had serials stripped with hair dryers and false paperwork to mask Chinese end users.
Arrest Came Days After Public Photo With NVIDIA CEO
- The indictment included a photo-timing detail: Wally Liaw was arrested two days after NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang was photographed greeting him at NVIDIA's developer conference.
- That image was publicly posted by Supermicro as evidence of a continuing partnership despite the alleged diversion.
Corporate Incentives Undermine Self Policing Of Export Controls
- Enforcement gaps and corporate incentives let diversion persist despite public denials from companies like NVIDIA.
- Bill Bishop notes companies maximize sales and lack penalties, so self-policing fails without stronger government consequences.