Axios

U.S. sanctions and national security concerns have pushed China to double down on its own technology industry, while America continues to be heavily reliant on Chinese consumer apps.

Why it matters: Today, six of the top 100 most downloaded apps in the U.S. are based in China or Hong Kong, per Apptopia, up from three in 2021.

The majority of downloads for ByteDance-owned apps in the U.S. this year haven't been of the main TikTok app, according to data from Apptopia.

Why it matters: President Trump's latest executive order outlining an agreement to sell TikTok's U.S. arm does reference other ByteDance-owned apps, but it's unclear how data and content security measures would carry over for those entities.

The surprise ascendance of DeepSeek is forcing the U.S. to reckon with a narrowing tech advantage over China.

Why it matters: "We are in a new form of Cold War, and that war will be won by the country that can develop and maintain the greatest lead in artificial intelligence," Robin Feldman, director of the AI Law and Innovation Institute at UC Law, tells Axios.

U.S. employers, foreign residents and lawyers are reeling from the White House's surprise changes to the H-1B visa system.

Why it matters: H-1B visas play a crucial role in driving high-skilled workers to the U.S., fostering economic growth and innovation.

• The administration's actions could imperil that system.