

China's AI Industrial Policy with Kyle Chan
Jul 16, 2025
Join Kyle Chan, a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton and RAND Corporation, as he delves into China's cutting-edge AI industrial policy. He breaks down how China's digital tech landscape evolved from imports to innovation, highlighting key companies like Alibaba. Discover the role of government guidance funds and how they fuel the growth of AI startups. Chan also discusses the competitive dynamics between Huawei and NVIDIA and China's ambition to become an AI superpower by 2025, exploring implications for global technological leadership.
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Sociology Shaped AI Policy Insight
- Kyle Chan chose sociology to study Chinese industrial policy for its broader methodological toolkit and fieldwork opportunities.
- Sociology provided him with a system-level perspective to understand China's industrial bureaucracy and policy mechanisms.
Five-Year Plans Align Incentives
- China's industrial policy mixes market incentives with state guidance instead of pure command economy directives.
- Goals are often set in five-year plans, aligning bureaucratic incentives and local government efforts.
Tech Giants Grew Behind Firewall
- Early Chinese tech giants like Alibaba and Baidu emerged in a sheltered domestic market formed by the Great Firewall.
- Many initial internet companies thrived behind protections that blocked Western competitors like Google.