US President Donald Trump on Thursday downplayed concerns that China may be funding opposition to data centre projects across the United States, saying he was not worried about Beijing-backed influence campaigns targeting American technology infrastructure. The remarks, made at the White House, came as the administration emphasised energy and artificial intelligence as pillars of US economic competitiveness.

Trump Dismisses China Influence Concerns

When asked directly whether he was concerned that China was financing an anti-data centre movement in the US, Trump was unequivocal. 'No, I'm not worried about it,' he said. He pointed instead to recent diplomatic engagement, stating: 'We had a great meeting with China. And you know, they do things to us, and we do things to them.'

Trump also brushed aside espionage and surveillance concerns, drawing a symmetry between the two powers. 'They say, oh, are you worried about China tapping your phones? I said, well, you know, they're worried about the same thing,' he said. The framing reflects a broader pattern in Trump's approach to US-China tensions — acknowledging rivalry while resisting alarmist characterisations.

AI Leadership and the Energy Equation

Central to Trump's remarks was the argument that energy access will determine the winner of the global artificial intelligence race. 'AI is a big deal,' Trump said. 'Without massive amounts of energy, you can't even play the game.' He claimed the US currently holds a significant lead over China in AI development, adding that he had discussed the matter directly with President Xi Jinping.

Trump said one of his administration's defining policy moves has been accelerating approvals for large-scale energy and infrastructure projects tied to AI. He praised Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin for expediting regulatory reviews, and noted that companies building advanced AI facilities are now permitted to construct dedicated power generation capacity alongside their projects.

'One of the biggest things we've done,' Trump said, 'is we let these geniuses with all this money build their own electric plant.' The policy, he argued, prevents large AI data centres from overwhelming existing electricity grids.

Coal Defence and China Comparison

China featured prominently in Trump's defence of 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. Trump also claimed that China built 52 coal plants last year, even as it exports renewable-energy technologies abroad — a claim he used to justify continued US investment in domestic coal infrastructure.

The Broader US-China Technology Rivalry

US-China relations remain contested across trade, technology, military influence, and supply chains. Artificial intelligence has emerged as one of the most consequential fronts in that competition, with both governments committing heavily to computing infrastructure, semiconductor development, and the energy resources required to power next-generation AI systems. This comes amid ongoing US restrictions on advanced chip exports to China and Beijing's parallel push to develop indigenous semiconductor capacity.

Whether Trump's measured tone on Chinese influence campaigns signals a deliberate diplomatic posture or a genuine reassessment of the threat will likely become clearer as the administration's technology and energy policies take shape in the months ahead.