The recent one Technological Symposium held in China It was not one more meeting. For the first time in years, President Xi Jinping met with the country’s great technological leaders, Including Jack Ma, the co -founder of Alibaba who had disappeared from public life since he faced the authorities in 2020.
The disposition of the seats, an important detail in Chinese culture and protocol, spoke for itself, gave subtle messages about the power of each company.
Huawei and Byd occupied the central positions, close to Xi Jinping. It was a sample of the importance that China gives telecommunications and electric mobility. In a way it is an award and recognition.
And beyond the protocol, the relevance of the meeting is in the fact that it has occurred, in an early sign on a change in government attitude towards the private technological sector.
The convened companies reflect Chinese power in technology today. Some better known in the West, others still unknown but with a global potential. These are:
- Deepseek. The New Chinese star in generativewhich competes with OpenAi models at a much lower cost … and open source. Its presence is symbolic: China is giving great importance to the Global AI race.
- Tencent. The giant of Gaming and social networks have its action at maximum. The reason? Has introduced Depseek R1 in Wechatits “superapp” with more than 1,000 million users.
- Iflytek. Natural language processing leader in China. Its voice recognition technology is winning integers in the development of AI in China.
- Qihoo. Outstanding leader in Chinese cybersecurity at the domestic level, of an end user. It is a sector considered sensitive to the desired Chinese technological autarchy.
- Xiaomi. No secret: smartphones manufacturer that has triggered its relevance in the last decade and is an important example: the ability to innovate in affordable hardware keeping margins restrained.
- Will Semi. Specialized in chips for the automobile industry. Again, the type of key company for self -sufficiency. Or at least to reduce the dependence of foreign suppliers.
- Byd. World leader for sale of electric cars, ended 2023 even above even Tesla, although this recovered the throne in 2024. And unlike the Musk company, not only sells electric cars, so its total is much higher. It is a perfect example of the sublimation of the Chinese strategy: to dominate future industries.
- Huawei. Victim of the Commercial War, has managed to get up after the western sanctions and is reaping A great success with your phones in your gigantic domestic market. In addition, it maintains its position in 5G telecommunications and has diversify its business, with a recent opening towards business software.
- New Hope. Chinese “new hope” in agriculture: modernizes this type of traditional sectors through AI and automation.
- UNITREE. Robotics. It has domestic robots Of various types and prices, including some quadrupeds reminiscent of Boston Dynamics. This is a very interesting type of company: it is an example of a category traditionally dominated by the West. And now China also makes its way in it.
- Chnt. Key figure in Chinese industrial automation, a sector with a +++ priority in the country’s modernization strategy.
- Feihe. Holding company of production and sale of dairy products. What do you do on this list? Bet on digitalization and modernization. And incidentally serves as an example for other traditional and more analog sectors.
- Alibaba. The Chinese electronic commerce giant. Or one of them, because there are already several. In addition, it is the company of the enigmatic Jack Ma, which It had almost a missing five years of public life. This presence is a track of a possible thaw between the government and giants like him.
- Catl. World Dominator of the battery market and recent investor in Spainanother fundamental component for the energy transition and towards electric mobility.
- Transfer. Chemical group that is digitizing its industrial operations. Case similar to Feihe or New Hope.
- Koce. Leading company in machinery and smart manufacturing. Case similar to the previous one.
- Meituan. Giant of electronic commerce at the local level, with strength in delivery services. Compete with Alibaba nationwide. He has aggressively expanded his digital services in second and third level cities, but for the moment not in international key.
- GERTEK. Manufacturer of acoustic components and audio technology for manufacturers such as Apple. Again, model company for its ability to master important niches in the global technology supply chain.
This symposium is one of those moments in Chinese technological history that can be very remembered within a few years. Especially if time confirms it as a turning point in the relationship between the Chinese government and its technology.
Years of strict control, completed with The cancellation of the IPO of Ant Group And with the virtual disappearance of Jack Ma, they now change inertia with Beijing apparently willing to give some more air to their private companies. Two reasons seem the main causes:
- The rise of AI as an opportunity to lead a global industry with which to achieve definitive recognition to the position that China has occupied in the world.
- Competition with the United States in the context of a markedly nationalist and protectionist country and culture.
Always under the premise expressed by XI: “Serve the country.”
China is in full readjustment of its technological strategy: it maintains state control, but allowing more space to the private sector. Especially in areas such as AI, where speed is as important as innovation to compete.
In the end the message is as clear as expected: Chinese technology can and should grow … but as long as they remain aligned with national priorities.
In Xataka | Deepseek exposed: how money earns and what role does the Chinese government have in this AI
Outstanding image | Wikipedia Commons
