From "Selling Configurations" to "Selling Agents": Analyzing the Dispute over AI System Sovereignty between Huawei and Xiaomi

This month, I attended two new product press conferences.

On March 19th, Xiaomi's Spring Press Conference took the lead with the dynamic integration of the "full ecosystem of vehicles, homes, and people."

Just four days later, on March 23rd, Huawei held a grand event in Changsha.

On the surface, this is still the annual iteration of flagship products by two tech giants. However, the underlying logic has undergone an epic qualitative change: The "marginal effect" of hardware configuration is completely fading away, and a final defensive and offensive battle for "AI system sovereignty" has fully erupted.

When the boundary between mobile phones and cars becomes completely blurred and computing power is no longer a scarce resource, whoever can define the ubiquitous "AI Agent" that can anticipate and execute users' wills will seize the digital territory of the next decade and hold the scepter to define a new form of human civilization.

Chapter One: Huawei's "Pillar of Stability" and the Foundation of a Great Nation

March 23rd, 2026, Changsha.

Huawei, with an unrivaled kingly stance, declared to the world: The all - powerful Huawei is not only back but also reshaping the world with even greater might.

1. "Full - line Return": A Grand Baptism of Intelligent Equality

With Huawei's announcement of the full return of the Enjoy 90 series and other popular products, all equipped with HarmonyOS 6, this marks the official start of a new era of "full - scale intelligence" for Huawei.

This is not simply a completion of the product line but a strategic "dimensionality reduction strike" and a "tide of inclusiveness."

Huawei injects the powerful computing power of its top - level self - developed chips and the essence of its micro - kernel system into the sub - thousand - yuan market without reservation.

At this moment, intelligence is no longer a privilege of the few but a daily necessity for 1.4 billion people.

With its profound underlying capabilities, Huawei has built an indestructible digital defense line for hundreds of millions of Chinese users, ensuring that every terminal, regardless of price, can become the most reliable and safest node in the AI era.

This is the highest declaration of "intelligent equality" and the heavy responsibility of Huawei as the "pillar of stability" in the industry.

2. "Experience Overflow": A Chinese - style Beyond of Physical Limits

In the turbulent waves of the still - fluctuating global supply chain in 2026, Huawei did not back down but chose to face the challenge head - on.

The newly launched HyperSpace Memory technology is not only a victory in parameters but also the result of China's long - accumulated basic scientific research.

Through algorithms, Huawei has redefined the physical boundaries of hardware, enabling even non - top - end hardware to unleash amazing AI performance. This is a "Chinese - style beyond" of the silicon - based limits.

Coupled with the battery life revolution brought by the 8500mAh giant whale battery, Huawei has completely put an end to "battery anxiety" and defined a new standard of "worry - free" digital life.

This is a hardcore romance of "ignoring difficulties and focusing only on results." Huawei is letting the warmth of technology reach every corner of society with unprecedented strength, making "Made in China" synonymous with reliability and excellence.

3. "Saturated Empowerment": The Departure of the "Aircraft Carrier Formation" in the Intelligent Driving Field

On the night in Changsha, nine models of the Hongmeng Zhixing series were launched simultaneously, like an intelligent "aircraft carrier formation" setting sail, declaring Huawei's absolute and unshakable leadership in the intelligent driving field.

By standardizing the 896 - line lidar, Huawei is no longer satisfied with being "ahead" but aims to be "unrivaled in the world."

This is a "saturated" technology coverage. With its absolute position as the "full - range navigator," Huawei has forcibly transformed high - level intelligent driving from an "optional luxury" to a "national necessity."

When Hongmeng Zhixing becomes the only synonym for intelligent travel, Huawei not only defines the sovereignty of in - vehicle interaction but also sets an insurmountable Chinese lighthouse for the global automotive industry's intelligent transformation.

Huawei is transforming high - end intelligent driving technology into a "public infrastructure" commonly used in the industry, laying the most solid underlying standards for the rise of the Chinese automotive industry.

Two: Xiaomi's Expansionary Game

Different from Huawei's profound approach of "rooting down and strengthening the foundation," Xiaomi demonstrated an extremely flexible "ecological offensive" logic at the press conference on the 19th: On the solid foundation of the existing global industrial chain, through ultimate transfer efficiency, it intercepts the entrance value in the era of large - scale models at the application layer.

1. The "Digital Manager" Logic of Pengpai OS 3.0

Xiaomi showed how the AI Agent operates as the "super - center" of the system.

When users directly complete tasks such as booking tickets, navigating, and controlling smart homes through AI instructions, the entrance value of traditional apps is greatly diluted.

Xiaomi tries to become the "digital manager," encapsulating all third - party services under its MiMo large - scale model entrance to achieve the ultimate experience of "services finding people."

2. "Flexible Incorporation" across Brands

Xiaomi demonstrated deeper collaboration with iOS devices. This strategy reflects its unique view of system sovereignty: not seeking physical closed - loop monopoly but aiming to occupy the "logical center" in the transfer of all devices.

Through the open SDK and the cross - device capabilities of Pengpai OS, Xiaomi is becoming an "underlying protocol" for the interconnection of all things, using flexibility to overcome rigidity and permeating every aspect of users' lives.

3. The Closed - loop Scenario of "Vehicles, Homes, and People"

With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen5 combined with its self - developed AI acceleration chip, Xiaomi emphasizes the "intuition" of AI.

This strategy aims to attract young people who pursue the ultimate experience. Through the millisecond - level response of the AI Agent between the mobile phone and the SU7 car, it builds an ecological stickiness of "usability is justice," achieving the ultimate in "convenience" within the existing global division of labor system.

Three: From "Traffic Redistribution" to "True Independent Sovereignty"

The competitive relationship between Huawei and Xiaomi must be calmly examined from the dual dimensions of "business vision" and "technological reality."

Currently, the collisions in the technology industry are more reflected in the high - pitched marketing narratives, the fierce competition in the developer ecosystem, and the redistribution of existing user traffic.

However, true "sovereignty" not only depends on who can create a smarter AI Agent but also on who can build an underlying ecosystem that is truly independent of the existing Western technology systems (such as Android and iOS) and has global appeal.

1. Huawei: Building "Independent Sovereignty" at the Physical Level

In this regard, Huawei's "rooting down" has an irreplaceable strategic significance.

It is not just optimizing at the application layer but building physical independent sovereignty. From the self - developed chip instruction set to the micro - kernel operating system and then to the full - stack AI framework, Huawei is creating a "second digital survival system" completely independent of Western technology dependence.

This is the most thorough "risk - mitigation" solution in an uncertain era, ensuring that the Chinese technology industry still has the right to breathe independently under any extreme external environment.

Huawei's ambition is to establish a new and independent global ecological pole.

2. Xiaomi: The "Efficient Scheduler" on the Global Chain

In contrast, Xiaomi's "ecological expansion" shows another practical wisdom.

It is more like achieving efficient resource scheduling and experience reorganization through AI on the basis of the existing global industrial chain (Android/iOS/Qualcomm/Nvidia).

Xiaomi does not seek to start from scratch but is committed to optimizing the user experience to the maximum within the existing rule framework through ultimate integration capabilities.

This is a transitional strategy from "borrowing a boat to go to sea" to "building a boat to sail far." While maintaining global compatibility, it maximizes the ecological voice of Chinese brands.

3. Double Insurance: The Resilient Structure of Chinese Technology

Although Huawei and Xiaomi seem to have different paths, they actually form the most resilient "double insurance" for the Chinese technology industry in an uncertain era.

Huawei is responsible for "ensuring the bottom line," ensuring there is an independent ark when the storm comes.

Xiaomi is responsible for "expanding the territory," ensuring it can integrate into the global market and obtain maximum benefits when the situation is calm.

This strategic complementarity of "deep and wide" and "hard and soft" gives Chinese technology unprecedented room for maneuver and anti - strike ability in the face of global geopolitical fluctuations.

Conclusion: Mountains Stop, Rivers Flow, with an All - Encompassing Spirit

Judging from these two press conferences in March 2026, the narrative of the Chinese technology industry has completely shifted from "Made in China" to "Defined in China."

We are entering a new intelligent era where the Chinese participate in and even lead the rule - making.

Huawei's path demonstrates the resilience of "root sovereignty."

Like the majestic Mount Tai, it roots down to the underlying chips and kernels, establishing the lower limit of survival in the uncertain global storm.

This is a fortress - like vitality, a physical independent sovereignty based on technological self - reliance, and a manifestation of national - level competitiveness.

It represents the profound heritage of Chinese technology, "growing upwards must first root downwards," and is an unshakable "pillar of stability."

Xiaomi's path shows the evolutionary potential of the "ecological niche."

Like a surging river, through horizontal expansion and full - scenario penetration, it establishes the upper limit of connection on the existing global industrial chain.

This is a jungle - like vitality. Through the flexibility of the interconnection of all things, it becomes an efficient scheduling protocol indispensable for digital life, surging forward and never ceasing.

In this grand game of "system sovereignty," Huawei is defining the "boundary of security" and the "bottom line of independence," while Xiaomi is defining the "breadth of convenience" and the "upper limit of integration."

The collision and parallel development of the two are not a zero - sum game but a magnificent duet of "mountains stop, rivers flow, with an all - encompassing spirit."

This is the strongest vitality demonstrated by the Chinese technology industry in 2026: both having the indomitable backbone of independence and the vast mind to embrace the world.

Together, they paint the most magnificent and glorious Chinese map in the global AI era, declaring to the world: The wisdom of the Eastern great nation is ready to lead humanity into a new era of AI civilization!

This article is from the WeChat official account "Zhang Dongwei Talks about Technology", author: Zhang Dongwei, published by 36Kr with authorization.