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The global balance of power hinges on tiny chips

A new CNO podcast called Mortal Giants examines the fragility of power in the 21st century, and the battle between the U.S., China and Taiwan for control over the tiny chips that drive the modern economy. Photo by Maxim Kazmin / iStock

 

Canada’s National Observer is launching a new podcast this week. Mortal Giants is a deep dive into the fragility of power in the 21st century — a balance so precarious it’s now hinging on technology measured in nanometres. 

The U.S., China and Taiwan are all battling for control over the tiny chips that drive the modern economy, commanding every device from light bulbs to spaceships. 

America’s race to lead the development of artificial intelligence is run by just a tiny handful of tech billionaires and has seemed to put us all on yet an even more perilous path. 

After almost a century of post-war prosperity and unrivaled American power, we've entered an era of growing uncertainty and realignment as many of the world's nations now seek to challenge that dominance. If the world is changing at a dizzying pace, the forces driving that change are markedly different than they were a century ago. For better or worse, one man, Xi Jinping, president of the People's Republic of China, will be a transformative force on these and other issues facing the world.

Mortal Giants is hosted by Sandy Garossino with guest Vina Najibullah. Garossino is a former Crown prosecutor and has been the public affairs columnist for Canada’s National Observer responsible for some of our keynote groundbreaking investigations. Najibullah is the vice-president of research and strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. She is a frequent media commentator on geopolitics, Canadian foreign policy and Canada-Asia relations.

You won’t want to miss the conversation between these two powerhouses. 

Look for Mortal Giants soon, here on CNO or Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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