The Trump Administration's rhetoric may be targeting more than just trade matters. Some say China's rising technology capabilities are an underlying issue. From semi-conductors to microchips, Chinese scientists are constantly working to reduce reliance on American technology. One place to start could be replacing silicon with graphene. CGTN's Xu Xinchen reports.

This snowflake-like, black, carbon molecular material could possibly be the next black gold. Graphene is attracting a lot of attention, namely that of 29-year-old engineer Zhang Shilong.

ZHANG SHILONG, ENGINEER BEIJING BAOXI TECHNOLOGY "At the moment, China's research and development on the use of graphene is leading the world. It could be our secret weapon as we look to make gains in certain industries."

One of those industries lies in making fiber that can both conduct electricity, and transfer data. By mixing flexible insulator with graphene, Zhang makes what he calls magic fiber. He brought his magic fiber project to a roadshow in Qitaihe — a northeastern Chinese city whose graphene industry is booming. But Zhang's project just demonstrates graphene's basic capabilities. Experts say using it instead of silicon in building semi-conductors and microchips will result in faster processing times and greater storage space.

LI YICHUN, SECRETARY-GENERAL CHINA INNOVATION ALLIANCE OF THE GRAPHENE INDUSTRY "There are many possible third generation materials that can replace silicon. Graphene stands out among them all. But it will be difficult to put into effective use, it is like the crown jewel everyone is catching after."

XU XINCHEN QITAIHE "Here I am inside of a local graphene manufacturing facility in Qitaihe. The company that runs it is one of China's largest graphene producers. Workers here can make 150 tons of graphene a year. But in order to help cities like Qitaihe transition from a mining city to a graphene powerhouse that competes with international tech hubs like the Silicon Valley, graphene makers need to take on projects that fully realize graphene's potential as the next black gold."

MA QING, PRESIDENT BAOTAILONG NEW MATERIALS "Experts say the 20th century was a century of silicon, and that this century will be one for carbon materials like graphene. But the application of graphene into micro-electronics and energy storage still needs to be realized. That is where graphene producers and researchers will need to collaborate and work together to hopefully find a breakthrough."

Mixing graphene with insular products can help control the material's conductivity, but semi-conductor production may still be years away. Some scientists say it is necessary to break down graphene's fundamental structure — removing or adding new elements to make it more silicon like. But before it all happens, Chinese graphene makers need to be sure they can produce quality graphene consistently. Xu Xinchen, CGTN, Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province.