China is doubling down on a hyper-meritocratic 'genius pipeline' that filters 13 million students to identify elite tech talent, while simultaneously accelerating its nuclear arsenal to reach 1,000 warheads by 2030. As Beijing prepares for a high-stakes summit with Donald Trump, it is weaponizing export controls against Japan as a strategic warning. The era of Chinese modesty is over, replaced by a security-first vision that spans from the classroom to the nuclear silo.