The State of China in 2021 with Shai Oster
Shai Oster from The Information reviews the state of China in 2021 and predicts what will come in 2022.
Fresh out of the studio, Shai Oster, the Asia Bureau Chief for The Information returns for the sixth year to discuss the state of China in 2021. Shai reviewed his predictions in 2021 and offered his perspectives on what surprised him the most on China tech from the regulatory tsunami from the Chinese government to dwindling funding of the startup ecosystem. We discuss how the Chinese economy is undergoing major transformation and whether we have a China tech ecosystem in 2022. Last but not least, Shai Oster provided glimpse of what is to come for 2022.
"There's definitely decoupling happening in terms of tech. And I actually was really skeptical of the coupling until this year. And I'm like, wow, you're really going to be seeing it. But on the other hand, the financial services sector is opening up much more this year than before." - Shai Oster
Here are the links and show notes for this episode:
Introduction
- Shai Oster (@beijingscribe, LinkedIn, TheInformation Profile), Asia Bureau Chief in The Information
State of China in 2021
- What did you get right and wrong about your predictions on China for the year 2021?
- We have already covered the Chinese tech giants from Alibaba to Bytedance being regulated by the Chinese government in early October this year. They have been reprimanded by the Chinese government with their anti-competitive behaviour slapped with record fines and CEOs moving up to executive chairman positions. Will we have a clearer picture of the Chinese tech giants going into 2022?
Startups and Venture Capital in China 2021
- We saw the recent drop of 65% in fundraising for China’s venture investors. What is driving this drop? What impact does it have for the startup and venture capital scene in China?
- Does it mean that we will not see record valuations in China?
- Moving forward, what industries will be hot for venture capital?
Chinese economy
- Moving forward, how will the Chinese economy evolve? Is it turning insular or expanding across Asia Pacific?
- What are the danger signs which we need to watch out for in the Chinese economy?
- Chinese ad rates are now more expensive than the US, how did that happen?
Global Companies in China
- Recently, it’s reported in The Information that Apple has a secret US$275b deal with Chinese authorities over 5 years. Is this more a general operating model or cost of doing business in China for global companies?
- How will China leverage their position against the US companies given the current anti-China attitude from the US government?
- What are your predictions for China next year in 2022?
Closing
- Anything that has recently inspired you?
- Shai's recommendations: Yuval Noah Harari "Sapiens" & "Home Deus" and "Jerusalem: A History" by Simon Sebag Monteflore
- How do my audience find you?