Long-form business and industry reporting on China
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Is the Future Faraday?
Ok, tell me if you’ve heard this one before. A billionaire founder has the ambitious dream to make autonomous electric vehicles and has named the company after a 19th-century scientist. You would be right to assume it’s Tesla but in fact it’s China’s reply, meet Faraday Future. Named after the founding father of motor technology,…
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Bike-Sharing Startup Bubble Finally Deflates
What do Amsterdam and Beijing have in common? The two could not be more starkly contrasted, except for one small overlapping love – the bicycle. While their histories are wildly different the need – or even the desire – to have the city planned around the humble bike is central to their collective lure. Holland…
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Baidu Throws Its Hat into the Smart Speaker Market
If California in the early 1900s was sharply characterised by its gold rush fever, then the last few years would be a fitting parallel to the smart speaker market. Is this a tad dramatic? Absolutely. But in all sincerity, almost every tech giant has launched its own version of the perfect voice-activated home assistant –…
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The Origins of AI and Where It May Lead
Would you eat artificial meat? How about filling your home with artificial plants? Most of us would do neither of those. When we hear the word artificial we think: unnatural, contrived, false or hollowed. But with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) it could very much be a spark of technological originality. AI as a…
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China’s First Space Station Tiangong-1 Expected to Return to Earth
China’s first space station Tiangong-1, originally launched in 2011, is expected to crash back down to Earth within the next few weeks. Aerospace Corporation and the European Space Agency (ESA) have estimated the 9-metric-ton craft’s descent to be between the end of March to the middle of April. Late 2016 the Chinese Space Administration announced…
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The Case of the Missing Startups
American businesses are employing more people than ever, the stock market has soared – even with the ten per cent correction – and consumer optimism is growing. Given this spirit, it remains a puzzle as to why productivity is lagging behind in the United States, and why are wages still stagnant. It has been 10…
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The Rise and Rise of Xiaomi
No one chooses to be the underdog in any sphere, but that is what many young hopeful tech startups do. Nearly 1,300 a month in the US alone try to duke it out with the big guns hoping to get their idea materialise from venture capital funds. Sadly the path to becoming a billionaire tech…
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China’s Drive for AI Dominance Pushes Ahead – Potential World Leader by 2030?
Western Beijing is mostly known for its rural charm, mountainous scenery, and for its draw for red tourism. Visitors can take a day trip to this area steeped in history – relating to the adventures of the communist party – while sampling fine local foods. Wild mushrooms aside, Mentougou district is now earmarked to host…
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