Latest news with #Chinese-speaking
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Industry eyes shift in Beijing's hallyu ban as K-pop activity surges in other Chinese-speaking regions
Hybe launches China branch amid rising hopes of hallyu ban easing in mainland China Hybe, the world's largest K-pop powerhouse and home to BTS, has officially launched a Chinese branch in Beijing, prompting speculation about a possible thaw in China's yearslong restrictions on Korean pop culture under what is commonly called the hallyu ban. Hybe China was incorporated on April 2, the company confirmed Wednesday, marking its fourth overseas branch after those in Japan, the US and Latin America. With the new office's role limited to supporting Hybe artists and future activities in mainland China, the company said it currently has no plans for an audition program or a new idol group in China. Hybe's other overseas branches, by contrast, have developed original groups for the respective local markets. SM, YG and JYP Entertainment — the other three major K-pop agencies often grouped with Hybe as the 'Big Four' — already operate Chinese subsidiaries. In 2019, SM debuted WayV — a Chinese unit of its boy group NCT — while JYP launched the Chinese boy band Boy Story the year before. SM founder Lee Soo-man also produced a new Chinese girl group, A20 May, in December — the first group he created after leaving SM. The establishment of Hybe China is seen by some in the industry as a sign of growing optimism that the hallyu ban may be easing. The ban, unofficially imposed by China in 2016 as diplomatic tensions heightened between the two countries, effectively blocks Korean entertainment content from mainstream platforms on the mainland. K-pop activity has recently surged in other Chinese-speaking regions. In March, Hybe subsidiary Ador's girl group, NewJeans, performed at ComplexCon Hong Kong, while SM's NCT 127 held sold-out shows in Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong as part of its 'Neo City – The Moment' tour the same month. Still, experts remain skeptical that these developments indicate a full reopening of the mainland market. 'I indeed heard about the loosening of the hallyu ban. However, I don't think having K-pop concerts in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan is a signal for this,' a Chinese journalist told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity. 'The hallyu ban is only in effect on the mainland.' A senior official at one of the major K-pop agencies acknowledged the appeal of the mainland Chinese market — the world's fifth-largest music market, but described it as a high-risk, high-reward proposition. 'There's some hope around President Xi Jinping's expected visit to South Korea later this year. But realistically, there's little we can do at this moment,' the official said Thursday. 'Even if things open up, political tensions could shut the door again at any time. It's a big market with major opportunities, but the risks are just as high.'
Mid East Info
3 days ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Diriyah Company Strengthens China Tourism Links with High Profile Participation at ITB Shanghai - Middle East Business News and Information
3-day presence follows Diriyah's highly successful cultural activation in Shanghai Diriyah – May, 2025 – Diriyah Company is strengthening its tourism ties with China this week through a high-profile presence at the prestigious ITB Shanghai travel trade show, taking place from 27-29 May. The event will allow Diriyah to engage with leading Chinese travel agencies, airlines and other key stakeholders in China's rapidly growing hospitality sector. It comes at a time when Chinese visitors to Saudi Arabia are growing rapidly, with a milestone of 140,000 visitors from China to the Kingdom in 2024. This influx was driven by a simplified online visa process and growing air connectivity. It marks ongoing progress toward the Kingdom's goal of welcoming 5 million Chinese visitors annually by 2030. ITB Shanghai follows a successful three-day cultural activation that Diriyah Company hosted on a standalone site in the city where over 1,000 people had the opportunity to experience a wide range of Saudi cultural traditions demonstrated by artisans and craftsmen as well as meet the Diriyah team. Diriyah's Shanghai presence, held at the North Bund International Passenger Center, offered guests a chance to sample traditional Saudi coffee, experience the aroma of rare spices and marvel at the skills demonstrated by traditional weaving workshops. As the number of Chinese travelers to Saudi Arabia continues to grow, Diriyah is offering the opportunity for tailored experiences, from curated galleries with Chinese-speaking guides to dining in one of the many Saudi and global culinary experiences located in Bujairi Terrace and Zallal. Authentic hospitality experiences await visitors at the recently opened Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection hotel, the first of Diriyah's nearly 40 hotels, set in a landscape that celebrates centuries of Saudi history and heritage. In October last year, Diriyah Company also participated in presenting Saudi heritage and culture to a global audience from a Chinese UNESCO World Heritage Site through its stand at the Visit Saudi pavilion during the 'Saudi Travel Festival' in Beijing, China. China is also playing a vital role in Diriyah's development with many of its leading construction firms appointed to work on several key projects across the 14 square kilometer development area. The firms include China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) who are working on the Northern District and Royal Diriyah Opera House; China Harbour Engineering Company is undertaking bulk excavation works and a joint venture between China Railway Construction Corporation Limited Saudi Branch and China Railway Construction Group Central Plain Limited for the relocation of a number of King Saud University facilities. Diriyah stands as a symbol of the growing cultural and economic ties between the two nations and will foster and strengthen even closer links through its presence in Shanghai at ITB and its hugely successful cultural activation. About Diriyah: Diriyah, Saudi Arabia's premier historical, cultural, and lifestyle destination, is a key component of Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision. A short 15-minute drive from Riyadh's city center, this 14-square-kilometer development holds historical significance as the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, dating back to 1727. Currently being developed by Diriyah Company, Diriyah is undergoing a transformation into an authentic Najdi-style mixed-use urban community. Diriyah's centerpiece is At-Turaif, the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2010, showcasing the ancient adobe capital city of the First Saudi State, dating back to 1766. Upon completion, Diriyah will host more than 100,000 residents, workers, students, and visitors, offering a diverse range of cultural, entertainment, retail, hospitality, education, and residential spaces. The first of those spaces include Bujairi Terrace, Riyadh's new premium dining hub with over 20 global and local restaurants and cafes that enjoy uninterrupted views of At-Turaif. Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel is the first hospitality offering in Diriyah, providing a tranquil experience with panoramic views of Wadi Hanifah. Diriyah's development provides a dynamic environment that celebrates Saudi Arabia's rich cultural history. About Diriyah Company: Diriyah Company was launched in January 2023 and joined the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) portfolio of giga-projects. The Company is responsible for developing the Diriyah project, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its foremost historical, cultural, and lifestyle destination. A dynamic mixed-use developer, Diriyah Company is redefining urban planning to develop Diriyah, 'The City of Earth', while adhering to the highest design, development, and preservation standards. The company ensures Diriyah's cultural landmarks are complemented by world-class retail offerings, fine-dining experiences, and leading hospitality brands. As a PIF company, Diriyah Company's mission focuses on opportunities in development, hospitality, investment, retail, and office leasing, along with strategic asset management, underscoring the commitment to ensuring successful business outcomes and sustainable growth under the strategic direction of Vision 2030. The Diriyah Company actively forges long-term partnerships to realize its vision of establishing Diriyah as one of the world's greatest gathering places.
Tourism Breaking News
4 days ago
- Business
- Tourism Breaking News
Qatar eyes greater role @ ITB China 2026 after strong showing in 2025: Visit Qatar
Post Views: 70 Jassim AlMahmoud – PR & Communications Director – Visit Qatar in a special interview with TravTalk ME shared that their presence at ITB China 2025 was most successful and their intention to expand their presence next year with the positive feedback received as they participated for the first time. 'ITB China is a very important event for us for two key reasons: first, the exceptional quality and professionalism associated with the ITB brand; and second, the high caliber of exhibitors and potential partners participating in the show. We are here to build meaningful partnerships, but most importantly, to deepen our engagement with the Chinese market—which we consider a Tier 1 source market for Qatar. This is my first visit to China, and already it is clear that the country offers immense opportunities. China's vast population and its growing appetite for international tourism make it a key focus in our global tourism strategy. But to truly attract Chinese travellers, we must understand their preferences and expectations. We've already identified that gastronomy, shopping, cultural experiences, and family-friendly attractions are particularly appealing to Chinese tourists. Fortunately, Qatar can offer all of these. From luxury shopping and world-class cuisine to rich heritage and attractions suited for travelers of all ages, we are confident in our ability to cater to Chinese guests. We are seeing solid growth from this market. For example, in 2023 we welcomed 56,000 Chinese visitors, and in 2024 we've recorded a 28% increase—a clear sign of rising interest. To support this momentum, we are actively expanding our partnerships. We brought 10 partners from Doha with us to ITB China this year. And based on what we've experienced here, we're seriously considering expanding our presence next year. The market potential is undeniable, and the hospitality we've received reinforces the importance of being here. To better serve Chinese travellers, we've already taken practical steps: We have representative offices in Shanghai and Beijing. We currently have 35 Chinese-speaking tour guides, soon increasing to 45, including both full- and part-time staff. Many of our hotels now offer Chinese-speaking staff and Chinese cuisine. Visitors from China enjoy visa-free access to Qatar, which significantly eases travel. We are exploring training initiatives similar to those launched by other countries, such as tailored cultural and language programs for frontline tourism staff.' Speaking on connectivity he shared, 'On the connectivity front, Qatar Airways operates 61 flights per week to 8 major Chinese cities, in addition to services offered by three Chinese carriers—Xiamen Airlines, China Eastern, and Air China. We're in ongoing discussions to further increase this number, pending regulatory developments. The relationship between China and Qatar is strong at both the governmental and cultural levels. This mutual understanding is reflected in our visa policies and bilateral cooperation. Looking ahead, while language can still be a barrier, we are leveraging AI tools and professional translation services, and considering further steps to make our destinations more accessible—such as enhancing signage and information in Chinese. To conclude, China is a top-priority market for Qatar Tourism. ITB China has been a valuable platform, and based on our first-hand experience here, I am confident that our post-event report will strongly recommend an even larger presence next year. We are committed to building long-term relationships and delivering an outstanding experience for every Chinese traveller visiting Qatar.'
Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
China's quiet global conquest of tech and trade
China's listed tech leaders, from BYD and Contemporary Amperex Technology to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and Huawei's supplier network, are not simply domestic players but global disruptors, commanding leadership positions in EVs, batteries, solar, 5G, AI and more recently robotics infrastructure. Yet their market valuations remain deeply discounted, reflecting geopolitical anxiety rather than underlying business strength. 'Policy done right can drive technological disruption' – Akshat Rathi These are world-class businesses with strong earnings power, global customer bases and a proven ability to innovate under pressure. A rare combination that is often overlooked amid the prevailing political narrative. The quick take China's tech-industrial ecosystem evolved as an interwoven network; success in one domain reinforced progress in others. Chinese tech champions often emerge from concerted state-industry collaboration rather than pure market competition. China's coordinated, whole-nation approach gives it the edge over Western rivals operating in fragmented private markets, accelerating both technological evolution and scale. Tariffs and sanctions are the visible symptoms of a deeper strategic contest; the real story is China's patient, long-cycle industrial strategy that continues to reshape global supply chains. To be clear, this is leading-edge innovation, not just scale – for instance, CATL's recent battery and charge speed breakthroughs. Global rivalries have long served as the crucible for breakthrough innovation and today, the escalating trade tensions between China and the United States form the backdrop to a new industrial revolution, one defined not only by competition over artificial intelligence (AI), chips, and electric vehicles (EVs), but by divergent national strategies. Where Washington has wielded tariffs and sanctions in hopes of stalling China's ascent, Beijing has interpreted pressure as fuel, using adversity to accelerate innovation, reorient supply chains, and scale industrial ecosystems. Nowhere is this more evident than in the current wave of Chinese breakthroughs, from XPeng's in-house autonomous driving chip to Contemporary Amperex Technology's (CATL's) hot-off-the-press sodium-ion and dual chemistry batteries, superfast charging technology (capable of delivering 520km of range in just five minutes), and rapid commercialisation cycle. These advances are not simply about catching up, they are redefining global standards and challenging assumptions about where true innovation resides. Ironically, one of the clearest illustrations of this geopolitical divide is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a company rooted in Chinese-speaking Asia that has become a strategic asset of the United States. Through heavy federal subsidies and onshoring incentives, the US is now effectively 'nationalising' a pillar of global chip supply, positioning TSMC fabrication plants (FABs) in Arizona as a hedge against supply chain vulnerabilities and Chinese influence. In doing so, Washington has acknowledged just how critical semiconductor capacity is in this new era, even if it means reshaping corporate allegiances. This quiet redrawing of industrial maps reveals that technological sovereignty is no longer abstract; it's physical, political, and increasingly nationalised. While the West has often underestimated China's technological ascent, viewing it largely as a story of scale and state-led execution, this narrative is increasingly outdated. Chinese firms like Huawei, CATL, BYD, and even Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) have proven themselves to be genuine global innovators, not just beneficiaries of protectionist policy or domestic market size. Their success points to a more fundamental truth: China is producing some of the world's most formidable technology companies, led by management teams that have demonstrated extraordinary agility and resilience, even under intense geopolitical pressure. Huawei's recent performance exemplifies Chinese resilience in the face of US sanctions. In 2024, the company reported a 22.4% year-on-year revenue increase, reaching ¥862-billion ($118-billion), marking its fastest growth in five years and nearing its 2020 peak of ¥891 billion. To dismiss China as 'uninvestable' due to political risk, concerns around property rights or lack of western democracy may be convenient, but it is increasingly an oversimplification. In reality, the opportunity set is growing more global in character. Investors used to look to China for the best-positioned domestic players; now, many of the world's leading companies, in batteries, EVs, telecoms and increasingly robotics, just happen to be based in China. Indeed, the next wave of global disruption may come from robotics, where China's leadership is rapidly solidifying. With breakthroughs in industrial automation, AI-robotic integration and smart manufacturing, China is poised to lead a sector that will rival AI in transformative impact. Rather than being derailed by external shocks like the Trump tariff war, China has responded with a deeper, more coordinated push toward technological self-sufficiency, a high-stakes gambit that may well redefine the rules of global competition. Wan Gang's electric dream In 2007, a quiet revolution was set in motion. Wan Gang – an automotive engineer who had spent a decade at Audi in Germany – was appointed China's Minister of Science and Technology. It was a highly unusual choice. Wan was not even a Communist Party member. He brought an audacious vision: to electrify China's automotive future. Once in office, he aggressively steered industrial policy in the direction of electric vehicles (EVs), a move that was firmly backed by the state. Wan's policy toolkit – from procurement contracts to purchase incentives – created a protected incubator for EV startups. By 2009, generous subsidies, tax breaks and research funding were implemented to bolster the sector and align innovation. The results were dramatic. Between 2009 and 2022, Chinese EV sales ramped up from 500 cars to more than six million, accounting for more than half of global EV sales. Today, Chinese automakers have dominated the field for eight years and produce roughly two-thirds of the world's EVs – an almost unthinkable achievement in just over a decade. Almost in tandem, battery giants like CATL (the world's largest battery maker) and BYD (which produced batteries before cars) expanded rapidly under these policies, scaling up on the back of booming EV demand. In turn, mass production drove down battery costs, rendering EVs ever more affordable – a virtuous cycle that Wan had envisioned from the start. By focusing the might of the state on this strategic sector, China has outstripped the global automotive industry in the transition to electric mobility. Figure 1 indicates an astonishing increase in Chinese car production from just 1% to 39% of global market share in just two decades. Building an industrial tech ecosystem The EV sector was just the first of several in which China built scale and expertise, adeptly leveraging existing capabilities to embrace the new. And so began the evolution of a tightly interwoven tech-industrial ecosystem, where successes in one domain reinforced progress in others. The net effect is an impressive, vertically integrated supply chain that extends from mineral mining through to end products. For instance, the smartphone boom of the 2010s endowed China with world-class electronics manufacturing capabilities (think Foxconn and Huawei). This enabled those same assembly lines and suppliers to swiftly pivot to EV and battery production. This is a path that BYD followed directly, leveraging its mobile battery and internal combustion engine automotive expertise to become a battery and EV producer, outstripping Tesla in unit sales and revenue in 2024. The synergies are everywhere, and economies of scale amplify China's competitive advantage. The massive scale in manufacturing means components such as sensors, power electronics and chips can be sourced cheaply and in bulk. Factories churning out millions of smartphones and solar panels created a domestic supplier base that EV startups could tap into, slashing costs. Meanwhile, the battery innovations spurred by electric cars have spilt over into other arenas. These batteries now drive China's energy storage projects and power smart appliances and devices, further expanding scale. A key example is the renewable energy and EV nexus overlap. The government's heavy investment in solar power and the construction of the world's largest charging network (c. 3.2 million public charging points by mid-2024) created an abundant, ultra-cheap solar energy supply system. This created capacity for millions of new EVs, making them more economically viable and sustainable. China's installed solar capacity rocketed from about 250GW in 2020 to 650GW by early 2024. In 2024 alone, 277GW of solar capacity was added to the grid – more than the US's total installed power capacity. This clean energy boom is not just a green virtue; it directly lowers electricity costs for China's manufacturers. Industrial power in China can cost as little as $0.05–$0.07 per kWh, compared to $0.09–$0.13 in the US. Cheap energy at scale provides a significant competitive edge to energy-intensive sectors like battery gigafactories and semiconductor FABs. Even 5G infrastructure, where firms like Huawei lead globally, ties into this ecosystem, enabling the connected cars and smart factories that further drive demand for chips and software. The Chinese model showcases how coordinated industrial policy integrates energy, transportation and digital tech into a formidable engine of economic power. Each sector's advancement reinforces the others in a way that resembles a modern, hi-tech Silk Road – an integrated network of trade and technology radiating from China (Figure 2). AlphaGo and the AI 'Sputnik moment' A seminal event in May 2017 reshaped the country's hi-tech ambitions: a board game match. China's 19-year-old Go master Ke Jie was defeated by AlphaGo, an artificial intelligence (AI) programme from Google's DeepMind. This highly publicised man-vs-machine showdown was dubbed ' China's Sputnik moment ', with a jolt akin to the 1957 Soviet satellite launch that spurred the US space race. It was game on for Beijing, which wasted no time formulating a response. Just two months later, the State Council issued a national AI development plan, declaring an ambitious goal for China to become 'the world's primary AI innovation centre' by 2030. A massive wave of investment and entrepreneurship in AI followed. By the end of 2017, Chinese startups and tech giants were drawing nearly half of all global AI venture funding. Tech entrepreneur Kai-Fu Lee describes Chinese entrepreneurs at the time as seizing a once-in-a-generation opportunity, leveraging China's huge datasets and hungry venture capital to chase AI applications in everything from healthcare to finance. The government poured funds into research institutes, companies and talent programmes to ensure China would catch up in fundamental AI research. Crucially, this AI push did not happen in isolation – it built on the existing technology foundations that provided the hardware backbone and utilised the ocean of Chinese digital data for AI algorithms to learn from. Abundant cheap and sustainable energy meant AI data centres could be powered affordably, an oft-overlooked edge in the energy-hungry deep learning era. The earlier success in EVs gave China confidence that, with state support, it could crack any frontier technology. From 2017 onward, AI joined the pantheon of industries – alongside EVs, batteries and solar – that China would pursue with characteristic coordination. Silicon squeeze – chips and the quest for self-reliance No discussion of China's tech ascent is complete without semiconductors – the 'brains' powering smartphones, EVs and AI alike. For years, cutting-edge chips were a weak link in China's tech ecosystem. Domestic FABs lagged industry leaders like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company by generations, and China imported over $300-billion worth of devices annually. When the US began restricting chip exports to China, this became a huge liability. Starting in 2018 and escalating through 2020-2022, US sanctions denied Huawei and other tech firms access to advanced chips and manufacturing tools, aiming to stall China's progress. It was a harsh wake-up call, but it reinforced Beijing's resolve to achieve semiconductor self-sufficiency. Sanctions became a 'double-edged sword', as Kai-Fu Lee observed. They created short-term pain but forced Chinese companies to innovate under constraints. True to form, China launched a whole-of-nation effort on chips. State funds flowed to FABs and chip design startups; university programmes swelled with semiconductor students; tech giants like Alibaba and Huawei set up chip design divisions. Progress was arduous, but in 2023, Huawei stunned the tech world by releasing its Mate 60 Pro smartphone with a domestically produced 7-nanometer processor, built by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) despite US export controls. Its Kirin 9000s chip was the most advanced Chinese-made chip to date. While still a node or two behind the latest US chips, it proved that ingenuity under pressure gets results. The symbolism of the achievement was enormous: China was cracking the silicon ceiling. Huawei's feat hints at what is coming. The company has reportedly marshalled thousands of engineers to develop semiconductor design tools and alternative production techniques. Other firms, from AI chip startups to legacy players like SMIC, are likewise racing to overcome technological barriers which, once achieved, will be a massive disruption. For now, high-end semiconductor production remains one of the few arenas where China trails its global peers. It's a tough problem. But the gap is narrowing. Washington's restrictions, paradoxically, have galvanised Beijing's determination to control its 'silicon destiny'. Should China succeed, it will complete a vertically integrated tech supply chain unrivalled in scope – from energy to materials to finished electronics – truly a Silk Road 2.0, spanning cutting-edge trade. The open-source AI disruption The debut of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022 was the next inflexion point, sparking a global AI frenzy. Almost immediately, Chinese tech giants (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) and a crop of startups scrambled to develop large language models. Early Chinese offerings significantly lagged behind those of Silicon Valley, resulting in a palpable sense of 'AI fever' and frustration. Then, in late 2024, a relatively unknown Chinese startup called DeepSeek upended the narrative. DeepSeek's secret sauce was its embrace of open-source AI models that were efficient and cheap to train. It was on par with the best American models but was trained for under $6-million using off-the-shelf Nvidia H800 chips. Compared to top-tier AI models that had required tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in computing power, it was a bombshell. Even more shocking, DeepSeek's AI assistant app surged to become the top-rated free app on Apple's App Store in the US, briefly overtaking ChatGPT in popularity. Out of the blue, a free-to-use Chinese model was matching US AI models at a fraction of the cost. By early 2025, DeepSeek had ignited an open-source AI wave and was reported to be 20 to 50 times cheaper on a per-task basis than OpenAI. Chinese companies raced to integrate these free, high-quality models into their products and services. Automakers like Great Wall and BYD began embedding it into their smart car interfaces, adding advanced conversational features without the hefty cloud AI bills. Telecom giants (China Mobile, China Unicom) deployed it for customer service and network optimisation. It was a broad-based adoption that only a large, unified ecosystem like China's could achieve so quickly. DeepSeek is now the default AI engine for a range of domestic industries. By slashing costs, DeepSeek also supercharged innovation. Startups and researchers can build on the good-enough models to create domain-specific AI applications across sectors without needing a Silicon Valley budget. In turn, this broad usage feeds back into improvements and training data for the models, accelerating their improvement. This crowd-sourced, decentralised AI model contrasts with the West's corporate-driven approach. It draws on China's strengths – a deep talent pool and a market that can implement and iterate at scale. In sum, the DeepSeek saga illustrates how deftly China's tech ecosystem can adapt and capitalise on innovation, turning a global tech trend to its advantage. What started with Wan Gang's EV vision has evolved into a multi-headed hydra of tech prowess – from batteries to bytes – each part reinforcing the whole. Figure 3 illustrates the improvement of both US and Chinese AI models, and also notably the pace at which China has caught up with US competitors. Coordinated strategy vs fragmented efforts Beijing's coordinated, long-term industrial strategy reflects a fundamental strategic difference versus a more fragmented, market-led approach in the West. The playbook involves the government setting a clear goal (like EVs or AI supremacy) and then marshalling resources across ministries, state banks and private companies to achieve scale. This includes heavy upfront investment – subsidies, grants and infrastructure – to bolster industries until they can stand on their own. Crucially, policies are consistent over time. EV subsidies, for instance, ran for over a decade and only phased out once China achieved cost parity and dominance. Even then, they were replaced by other incentives to ensure momentum. Policy continuity and clarity have given companies the confidence to make big bets on new technologies. By contrast, the US has relied on the private sector to drive innovation, with limited government intervention. This has yielded incredible successes, but also gaps in coordination. It is only recently that the US government, spurred largely by the threat of China's rise, has stepped in with initiatives like the 2022 CHIPS Act (to boost semiconductor manufacturing) or the Inflation Reduction Act (with EV and clean energy credits). Moreover, policy and federal support wax and wane with administrations, while legal battles and lobbying dilute implementation. As a result, US firms have often had to navigate new commercial paths alone, leading to a more fragmented approach. For example, Tesla's rise was spurred by Elon Musk's vision and Silicon Valley capital rather than government policy. Similarly, AI progressed with private funding and Big Tech backing. This decentralised innovation model produces brilliant breakthroughs but struggles to scale infrastructure-heavy industries such as batteries and solar with China's speed and coordination. The effects of these divergent strategies are now visible in global markets. China's synergistic approach has made it the indispensable supplier of the green and smart technologies that will define the 21st-century economy. Nearly 80% of solar panels come from China, it leads in EV battery production and is a global player in 5G, while DeepSeek is eroding the first-mover advantage of OpenAI. For investors, this suggests that China's tech sector is a linked ecosystem backed by strategic policy that can achieve rapid scale-up and cost advantages. It is a more predictable growth trajectory in some respects, though not without risks (eg, over-investment or geopolitical backlash). By contrast, US tech successes tend to spring from more unpredictable innovation cycles and face more domestic uncertainty, such as shifting regulations on issues like EV tax credits and AI governance. Silk Road 2.0 — from dominance to influence China's quiet conquest of key tech and trade sectors is coming into full view. What started with Wan Gang's EV dream has expanded into a broad-based industrial and technological supremacy in emerging industries. This new trade route is paved with technology standards and trade relationships that increasingly favour Beijing. This influence is quiet but decisive. China's tech conquest often happens at the consumer and enterprise level – a European driver choosing a NIO EV or an African telecom operator buying Huawei 5G equipment. These choices, backed by the cost-efficiency of scale, incrementally lock in China's role as an indispensable partner. From an investment perspective, the story of 'Silk Road 2.0' is a story of shifting competitive moats. China's quiet conquerors thrive on an integrated home base, scale and patient capital, rather than just breakthrough innovation. The US, still the global leader in fundamental innovation and research, now finds itself in the unfamiliar position of playing catch-up in scale commercialisation and deployment. In the US, the growing recognition that a more cohesive strategy is needed is apparent in new semiconductor FABs breaking ground in Arizona, or the rush of EV battery plants across the American South and Midwest spurred by federal incentives. But coordination takes time, and time is what China maximised over the past two decades by starting early in key tech races. An escalating tariff war is more indicative of late-stage desperation than a recognition of the hard work required to balance the reciprocal value of trade. As China consolidates its gains, we would be remiss not to highlight that risks remain. Externally, geopolitical tensions will lead to trade barriers (witness the EU's recent probes into Chinese EV subsidies, or US export bans). Internally, China must balance its top-down directives with market forces – there have been periods of overcapacity and waste. However, the tech-industrial sectors discussed – EVs, renewables, digital tech – align closely with China's long-term development goals (energy security, sustainable growth, tech self-reliance), so they are likely to enjoy continued support rather than abrupt policy reversals. And they offer great value to other customer countries. The lessons from China's trajectory are sobering for its rivals. Tariffs and sanctions, intended as brakes, have often functioned as accelerants. By imposing constraints, Washington has inadvertently sharpened Beijing's resolve, propelling Chinese firms to build new capabilities, scale new industries and forge new trade corridors. The old Silk Road brought goods and culture from East to West. The new Silk Road, forged from semiconductors, batteries, code and solar cells, may bring influence and standards. The shift is already under way. The only question now is whether others will catch up, or merely react to China's pace-setting lead. In conclusion, the narrative from Wan Gang's 2007 gamble on electric cars to DeepSeek exemplifies China's strategic march. It has been a journey of patient planning, learning by doing and scaling up at a pace the world has never seen. DM Peter Leger is head of Global Frontier Markets and portfolio manager at Coronation. Leger has 27 years of investment industry experience.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. parents are trying to start first K-8 Mandarin immersion charter school. It won't be easy
Yunita Tjhai has always wanted her kids to be able to speak, read and write Mandarin. Unable to speak Chinese, the San Francisco mother of three, who grew up in Indonesia, regretted that she was never able to communicate with her monolingual Chinese-speaking grandparents. She and her husband Brian Hollinger enrolled their kids in Mandarin-immersion daycare. The oldest child is now in first grade at one of San Francisco's only two Mandarin immersion public elementary schools. Hollinger is concerned that the district has not met the growing demand for Mandarin immersion education and that SFUSD's turbulent financial situation might jeopardize his kids' Mandarin education. 'The district hasn't prioritized Mandarin immersion,' Hollinger said. 'They haven't expanded on it even as the city's demographics have changed, even as Mandarin immersion daycare has exploded, even as private school options have exploded.' In March, Hollinger alongside two veteran educators and two other district parents, kickstarted an effort to create San Francisco's first K-8 Mandarin immersion public school, a charter school to be called ' Dragon Gate Academy.' Supporters say the school would address unmet demand and offer more continuity as well as efficient use of resources with students remaining at the same site for elementary and middle school. 'There's an opportunity for the board of education to say we recognize the demand,' Hollinger said. 'Let's deliver a win for these families. Let's deliver an alternative for them to take advantage of tuition-free public education through Mandarin immersion in a K-8 format.' Hollinger said they have already gathered meaningful interest from almost 200 parents and teachers and are preparing to bring the charter petition to the San Francisco school board in the next couple months. They needed 77 prospective parents — 50% of the K-4 students expected for the first year — to sign the petition to be eligible. The team will likely face an uphill endeavor to seek authorization from a school district that's historically been opposed to expanding the number of charter schools. In the absence of the San Francisco Unified School District opening a K-8 Mandarin immersion school, Hollinger said he and other parents feel they have no choice but to serve unmet needs of hundreds of parents who couldn't secure one of the coveted K-5 spaces. SFUSD has two Mandarin immersion elementary schools and one middle school. Both elementary schools have long waitlists for every grade for the upcoming school year. With only 66 seats in the incoming Mandarin immersion kindergarten classes at Starr King and Jose Ortega elementary schools, about two-thirds of which are reserved for proficient speakers, parents say that's far from enough in a city where 22% of residents are Chinese and where Chinese languages are by far the most widely spoken after English. 'If you're thinking of equity, people who can afford Mandarin immersion daycare in preschool have a massive leg up in getting into Mandarin immersion,' said co-organizer Brian Grech, who has three boys in Mandarin immersion, two at Starr King and one in preschool, because their kids can test into the spots reserved for proficient speakers. There were 174 kindergarten seats for immersion in Cantonese, the most common Chinese dialect spoken in San Francisco, at four elementary schools, which also have waitlists, and 163 for native Cantonese-speaking kindergarteners who may not speak English. By contrast, San Francisco Unified School District had almost 400 Spanish immersion kindergarten seats even though there are more than twice as many Chinese speakers with limited English proficiency in San Francisco than Spanish speakers with limited proficiency. San Francisco Unified School District spokesperson Hong Mei Pang said the district is 'supportive of expanding SFUSD language immersion programs as a strategy to increase enrollment options for families while improving student learning and outcomes,' including the possibility of a Mandarin immersion K-8 school, and that the district is engaging experts to determine next steps. District spokesperson Katrina Kincade said that an additional kindergarten classroom could fulfill the existing demand for the 2025-26 school year. She said there are vacant seats in the middle school Mandarin immersion program. 'Public school language immersion programs are a key priority for Superintendent Su,' Kincade wrote in a statement as they 'strengthen enrollment in SFUSD.' Kincade said as the district prepares for the upcoming budget cycle, 'we will be sharing plans to enhance and grow our acclaimed immersion offerings.' Hollinger said the idea that an extra kindergarten class could a meet the exploding demand for Mandarin immersion schools reflects the district's lack of understanding. Hollinger said numerous private Mandarin immersion schools are entering the market, including one called Hiba Academy opening in fall 2026, showing how high demand is. Dragon Gate Academy would adopt a similar immersion model to SFUSD, where kindergarteners receive 80% of teaching in Mandarin and the rest in English, scaling down to 50% by fourth grade. Research has shown K-12 Mandarin immersion has enabled students to achieve extremely high levels of Mandarin proficiency while performing on par with or better than peers in English and math. But a key difference is the K-8 throughline. SFUSD's Mandarin immersion middle school, Aptos, is on the opposite side of the city from Starr King, one of its two immersion elementary schools, creating a 38-minute round trip drive that parents said is inefficient and impractical, especially if they have kids in both schools. Grech's oldest son is expecting to enter sixth grade at Aptos next year. His middle child is at Starr King. Grech is bracing for a commute of over an hour, with traffic, from his home to each of his children's schools, putting his oldest on a long bus ride, or enrolling him in another middle school altogether 'It was obvious that the entire Mandarin immersion program, broadly, was an afterthought in the way it was constructed by SFUSD,' Grech said. 'While I'm very thankful all those programs exist, it should be rethought, in my mind, in a more coherent way that serves the interests of parents across all kinds of demographic groups and every single neighborhood and city.' The organizers envisioned a centrally located school and proposed co-location with an existing, underused SFUSD school, paying rent to the district to share a building. Non-native speakers would have 41%of seats reserved for them. The goal, according to the charter petition, is to mirror the diversity of the district, through an open lottery admissions process with no quotas or preferential admissions and outreach to underserved communities. Hollinger said he started having concerns when he heard in fall 2023 that the Mandarin immersion teacher for seventh and eighth graders at Aptos Middle School had resigned at the start of the school year. 'That was the first, 'Oh my gosh,'' Hollinger said. 'What is the path for the kids if the district isn't supporting the program enough to get a teacher?' It would be months before the position was filled, said Sherry Lin, a parent of two Aptos middle schoolers, who organized parents at the time. From September until March, Lin said her seventh-grade daughter was taught by a rotating cast of substitutes, including many that Lin said did not speak Mandarin proficiently. 'It took the wind out of their sails,' Lin said. The proposed charter school will have to be supported by a majority of the school board, which can, by law, reject it for a host of reasons, including that the district is not positioned to absorb the financial impact of the proposed charter school. Dragon Gate Academy will likely face opposition, especially from the teacher's union, which opposed expanding charter schools in its public education pledge. At least four current San Francisco school board members are listed as having signed it. Neither the union nor the school board members responded to a request for comment. Charter opponents say charter schools siphon funding away from district schools as they attract students who would otherwise have enrolled in district schools. California state funding for schools is allocated on a per pupil basis — about $22,000 per student. Hollinger has argued that Dragon Gate Academy could attract some students who otherwise would have left the district to enter private schools or move out of San Francisco, and therefore doesn't subtract from the district's coffers as much as opponents might think. One such parent is Kailee Boyce, who has two kids in Mandarin immersion preschool and an eight-month-old baby. Neither she nor her husband are or speak Chinese, but they wanted to give their children the benefits of language immersion, including cognitive benefits and cultural exposure. Her older daughter's first word was in Mandarin. ' Gou,' she had said, seemingly pointing to the sidewalk, Boyce recalled. Her daughter was pointing at the dogs on the sidewalk. 'My son was like, 'No Mommy, she means dog, you don't know Chinese,'' Boyce recalled. 'I felt just proud.' But when she started researching elementary Mandarin immersion schools for her four-year-old, she said a parent at Jose Ortega told her that unless they had a sibling already enrolled, the chances of getting in were almost zero. Starr King, located in Potrero Hill, is a 25-minute drive from her younger children's Sunset District daycare. It wouldn't be logistically possible, she said. She's betting on Dragon Gate Academy to succeed. 'If the charter school doesn't get traction,' Boyce said, 'I think we would probably leave San Francisco.'
