U.S. Moves To Close Overseas Access To Nvidia’s AI Chips

by News Editor

August 19, 2026

U.S. export controls restrict Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips from being shipped to China, but Chinese companies may still access their computing power through data centers in other countries.

The issue has gained attention as Chinese firms release increasingly capable AI models. In July, White House official Michael Kratsios accused Moonshot AI of using Nvidia GB300 chips through a facility in Thailand after the launch of its Kimi K3 model.

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How Chinese Firms Access Chips Abroad

Current U.S. rules primarily restrict the physical shipment and ownership of advanced AI chips, rather than remote access to computing power hosted overseas.

Cassia King of the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy told CNBC that Moonshot’s reported access through Thailand could be legal if the company did not own the physical hardware.

Chinese firms including ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent have reportedly accessed Nvidia-powered infrastructure remotely through Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. ByteDance was also reportedly working with Singapore-based cloud provider Aolani to access Nvidia-powered computing in Malaysia.

Southeast Asia’s Growing Data Center Market

The development comes as data center construction accelerates across Southeast Asia. JLL estimates that global data center capacity could nearly double to 200GW by 2030, while DC Byte has identified 31 planned data centers of at least 100MW across Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

That expanding infrastructure could give Chinese companies greater access to advanced computing without moving restricted chips into China.

Proposed Law Could Close The Gap

The proposed Remote Access Security Act would extend U.S. export controls to remote cloud access to critical hardware and software. It passed the House in January but still needs Senate approval.

Michelle Nie of the Center for a New American Security said the loophole undermines the goal of restricting China’s access to advanced U.S. chips.

However, legislation alone would not immediately solve the problem. Regulators would still need to determine which computing resources are restricted, who can access them and how cloud providers should verify customers.

According to King, creating rules could be done quickly with White House support, but making them effective and enforceable would be the bigger challenge.

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Cyprus Ranks In EU’s Middle Tier For Minimum Wage After Cost Adjustment

by News Editor

August 20, 2026

Cyprus sits in the middle tier of the European Union’s minimum wage ranking when differences in living costs are taken into account, according to Eurostat.

Based on data from July 1, 2026, Cyprus falls into the group with minimum wages between 1,000 and 1,500 Purchasing Power Standards (PPS). The category also includes Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary and Czechia.

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After adjusting for purchasing power, Cyprus drops four positions compared with its nominal ranking.

Purchasing Power Gives A Different Picture

PPS adjusts for price differences between countries, providing a better indication of how much people can actually buy with their income.

The adjustment significantly narrows the gap between EU minimum wages. While Luxembourg has the highest nominal minimum wage, Germany ranks first when wages are measured in PPS.

Cyprus Hit By Higher Inflation

Differences in inflation have also affected purchasing power. Euro-area inflation reached 3.2% between January and July, while Malta recorded 8.2%, Cyprus 5.4% and the Netherlands 4.7%.

Countries with minimum wages of at least 1,500 PPS form the top group. This includes Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, France, Slovenia, Spain and Poland.

At the other end, Bulgaria, Latvia and Estonia remain below 1,000 PPS.

Nominal And Purchasing Power Rankings Differ

In nominal euro terms, Luxembourg’s minimum wage was 4.5 times higher than Bulgaria’s on July 1. Once purchasing power is considered, the gap between the highest and lowest levels falls to 2.3 times.

Romania recorded one of the largest improvements, moving from 20th place in the nominal ranking to 12th in PPS terms. Estonia saw the biggest decline, falling from 16th to 26th place. Cyprus, Latvia and Czechia each dropped four positions.

Minimum Wages Rose In Several Countries

Between January and July 2026, eight of the 29 countries covered by Eurostat recorded increases in their minimum wages in local currency.

Romania and Estonia posted the largest increases at 6.8%, followed by Belgium at 5.8%, Greece at 4.5%, Luxembourg at 2.5%, France at 2.4% and the Netherlands at 1.9%.

Eurostat notes that minimum wages are generally reported as monthly gross earnings, before income tax and employee social security contributions.

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