Good evening. When Kai-Fu Lee renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2011, it may have raised some eyebrows here and there, but the former Silicon Valley executive was still well-connected and well-respected in the West. He even became something of an ‘AI guru’ and ubiquitous conference panelist with his best-selling 2018 book, AI Superpowers. But now, with the AI superpowers coming to blows, Lee’s decision to go “all in” on China is worth a second look. Our cover story this week profiles Lee and looks at the tough environment facing his two Beijing-based firms.
Elsewhere, we have a look at Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, which has seen a surge in new users thanks to the TikTok ban; an interview with Mark Clifford on why Jimmy Lai’s story matters; seven different infographics on China’s record year of global trade; and an op-ed arguing that Beijing’s recent policy changes aren’t just about Donald Trump. If you’re not already a paid subscriber to The Wire, please sign up here.
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All In
Kai-Fu Lee once held a unique and privileged status: The former Apple, Microsoft and Google executive was as beloved in Silicon Valley as he was in China. But in recent years, as the U.S.-China rivalry over AI has intensified, Lee has been forced to choose a side — and it’s not entirely clear he chose the winning one.

The Big Picture: TikTok Refugees Head for Other Chinese Apps as Ban Looms
Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu has seen a surge in American users in recent days, but the trend could prove temporary. Rachel Cheung reports.

A Q&A with Mark Clifford

During his long career, mostly as a journalist, Mark Clifford has been the editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post and an executive director of the Asia Business Council among other roles. He was also a board member at Next Digital, parent company of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, until it shut down in 2021. He is currently the president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, which seeks to free all political prisoners in the city. In this interview with Rachel Cheung, he talks about his new book, The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic, as well as his hopes for a political solution in Hong Kong.
Mark Clifford
Illustration by Kate Copeland

The Big Picture: China’s Year of Record Trade
China’s trade surplus hit a record in 2024, but the threat of U.S. tariffs looms. Noah Berman created seven infographics to make sense of the changes in China’s global trade.

Beijing May Be Changing Gear — But It’s Not Just About Trump
China’s main priority in recent policy making has been its own needs, argues Francesca Ghiretti, a research leader at RAND Europe, not preparing for a new U.S. administration.
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