Lenovo’s computers, including the ThinkPad that it acquired from IBM, are the most popular in the world. Credit: Andrew Skudder, Creative Commons
Lenovo has stayed hot despite the frosty climate for Chinese tech companies.
The world’s top personal computer (PC) seller has largely escaped the high-profile crackdowns that have marred the outlook for other high-profile Chinese firms such as Huawei and Hikvision. Lenovo has, in fact, benefited from the surging PC market during the pandemic, with its annual revenue reaching a record $60.7 billion last year.
Lenovo’s ability to fly under the radar, even as U.S.-China tensions worsen, may be down to politicians and regulators seeing it as posing little threat in areas such as intelligence gathering and cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, Lenovo’s parent Legend Holdings has remained active, partly through its two investment firms, Hony Capital and Legend Capital, both based in Beijing. Each has been in operation for nearly two decades, investing domestically and overseas in industries as far-flung as Australian seafood and Israeli online casino games.
Thi
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
As the Belt and Road Initiative gets ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary, Italy is looking for the off-ramp. Beijing's response, plus Italy's ability to negotiate a new deal for itself, will speak volumes about both China's standing in Europe and what the BRI, once seen as a colossus, has left to offer.
