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Big Take Asia

Xi Has Embraced China’s Tech Titans Once Again. Will It Last?

Feb 25, 2025
Lucille Liu, a Bloomberg reporter based in Beijing, shares her expertise on China's tech landscape. She discusses President Xi Jinping's surprising outreach to Jack Ma and other tech leaders, suggesting a potential thaw in relations after years of strict regulations. The conversation dives into the historical tensions between the government and tech firms, questioning the sustainability of this newfound cooperation. Liu also touches on the broader challenges facing the sector, including the impacts of the COVID lockdown and geopolitical tensions with the U.S.
15:58

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Xi Jinping's recent engagement with tech leaders like Jack Ma signifies a major shift towards embracing China's tech industry after years of regulatory struggles.
  • While there's a renewed relationship between the government and tech firms, challenges such as geopolitical tensions and scrutiny from the U.S. persist, complicating global ambitions.

Deep dives

The Spring Festival Gala and Humanoid Robots

The performance at the Spring Festival Gala featured humanoid robots from a Chinese startup, Unitree Robotics. These six-foot-tall robots, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, performed in a way that was both captivating and unusual. This marked a departure from typical performances at the gala, drawing attention to the integration of technology in cultural expressions. The segment suggests a broader societal embrace of tech advancements, potentially indicating a shift in government attitudes toward the tech industry.

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