How China Works author on the data economy, robots and AI

South China Morning Post - Sep 4, 2026

Lan Xiaohuan is a professor of economics at China Europe International Business School. His book, How China Works: An Introduction to China’s State-led Economic Development, has sold millions of copies in China and has been translated into multiple languages. Here, he discusses the economic realities behind China’s record trade surplus, the case for a stronger social safety net, and how public data infrastructure shapes the artificial intelligence race with the United States. SCMP Plus readers...

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Alibaba pushes into South America’s AI market with launch of Brazil data centres

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Zhipu AI shares jump as viral Ox Alpha model revealed as GLM-5.3-Flash on Chinese chips

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Nvidia ships first H200 chips to China, but forecasts no data-centre computing revenue

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MiniMax revenue surges 283% but remains behind pace to meet forecast amid crowded AI race

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AI boom, profit surge fuel China’s ambitious chip assembly buildout

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DeepSeek nears pre-IPO funding round as 2027 market debut takes shape: sources

DeepSeek nears pre-IPO funding round as 2027 market debut takes shape: sources

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Huawei, HP settle disputes with multi-year Wi-fi patent cross-licensing deal

Huawei, HP settle disputes with multi-year Wi-fi patent cross-licensing deal

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Divergent results for Apple suppliers highlight memory price squeeze ahead of new iPhone

Divergent results for Apple suppliers highlight memory price squeeze ahead of new iPhone

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Moon mission delay a hiccup, but Chinese rocket city Wenchang remains on the march

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