As US-China tensions over artificial intelligence reach new heights in 2025, the tech conflict has entered a critical stage. The US Commerce Department has launched an export review of Nvidia's H20 AI chip, designed specifically for China, sending shockwaves through the global semiconductor sector. In response, Chinese tech giants are launching an unprecedented AI hiring and training drive, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign innovation and boost homegrown capabilities.
Huawei, Tencent, Baidu, and ByteDance are leading the charge, ramping up AI research and development investment and rapidly expanding their technical talent pools. Huawei is at the forefront with its "Brave New World" initiative, aiming to recruit 10,000 new employees to drive China's AI ambitions forward, as Webull reports.
US restricts H20 chip exports as China doubles down on AI talent
The US restriction on Nvidia's H20—a low-end AI chip previously cleared for China—sends a strong signal: even downgraded tech won't escape future export controls. The move underscores the deepening technological decoupling between Washington and Beijing.
With access to advanced computing power under threat, Chinese tech companies are fast-tracking a two-pronged strategy centered on talent and domestic innovation. Huawei has launched its 2025 "Brave New World" campus recruitment campaign, covering over 60 AI-related roles—from algorithm engineering to hardware and software development. It plans to hire more than 10,000 graduates, a double-digit increase from 2024.
The campaign's name nods to the upcoming Hollywood film Captain America: Brave New World, where a Black superhero steps up as a symbol of a new world order. Analysts view the reference as a metaphor for Huawei's bid to reshape its global narrative amid geopolitical headwinds.
Huawei is also strengthening partnerships with leading Chinese universities to cultivate an AI ecosystem anchored in its homegrown platforms—HarmonyOS, Kunpeng CPUs, and Ascend AI accelerators.
As export controls tighten, Huawei is accelerating its HarmonyOS deployment. Its 2025 Developer Conference, slated for June 20–22, is expected to unveil the newest HarmonyOS release, potentially featuring the debut of a Harmony-powered PC. The move signals a broader shift away from reliance on Windows and Android, with implications for China's homegrown PC ecosystem.
Tencent launches largest-ever campus hiring drive, with LLMs in focus
Tencent has launched its largest-ever campus hiring program. Over the next three years, it plans to add 28,000 new roles, including 10,000 interns in 2025 alone. More than 60% of these positions will focus on AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs), cloud infrastructure, digital media, and game engine development.
Tech specialists now make up more than 73% of Tencent's workforce, with over 27,000 staff in research and development. To future-proof its AI capabilities, the company has rolled out the "Qingyun Project," a tailored training program for talent in foundational model development.
Baidu and ByteDance join the AI talent war
Baidu and ByteDance are intensifying their AI recruitment and research and development pushes. Baidu is enhancing its proprietary LLM platform, Ernie Bot, while expanding work on custom chips and cloud-based AI services. Hiring efforts are focused on generative AI, data infrastructure, and intelligent transportation systems.
ByteDance is prioritizing AI integration across content creation, recommendation engines, and smart education platforms. It is rapidly expanding AI research hubs in China and abroad, with aggressive hiring in algorithm and platform engineering to power core products like TikTok and Toutiao.
The AI arms race shifts to talent as China builds its human moat
As the AI race shifts from hardware to algorithms, applications, and ecosystems, Chinese tech giants are recognizing the strategic need for a robust, long-term talent pipeline. From building local compute platforms to training and deploying large models, skilled talent is emerging as the sector's most valuable asset.
With access to advanced chips increasingly constrained, companies like Huawei, Tencent, Baidu, and ByteDance are shifting focus to mass AI recruitment. The US-China tech rivalry is entering a new phase—one driven not just by hardware, but by human capital.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
