WSJ What’s News How China’s AI Power Threatens Silicon Valley
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Jan 18, 2026 
In this discussion, Josh Chin, a Senior Global Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, and Tatia Bolkvadze, a technology analyst at Oxford Analytica, dive into the rapid rise of China's AI capabilities. They explore how China's state-driven strategy has enriched its AI landscape and threaten Silicon Valley's pricing power. The conversation highlights the role of open-source models in expanding China's global reach, the implications of Huawei's initiatives in developing regions, and the potential shifts in U.S. policies impacting tech dynamics.
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State-Led AI Surge After DeepSeek
- China's AI push is heavily state-driven and accelerated after DeepSeek's R1 surprised global observers.
- Beijing unlocked major government support once it saw China could compete with top Western models.
Qwen's Global Footprint And Open Strategy
- Alibaba's Qwen suite scaled rapidly and was downloaded hundreds of millions of times worldwide.
- Making models cheap and open source has become a deliberate Chinese strategy to increase adoption.
Cheap Models Expand China's Reach
- Cheap Chinese models are gaining adoption in the West and the global south, sometimes as defaults on devices.
- Huawei's earlier telecom reach and device presence helps Chinese AI spread in developing countries.