Media Mentions

“The WAIC has steadily evolved into a policy-oriented forum, with Beijing using it to deliver key messages on AI cooperation, safety and what officials now call ‘AI diplomacy,’” said George Chen, partner and chair of digital practice at advisory firm The Asia Group. China, Chen added, sees an opportunity to present itself as a more […]

“Households overwhelmingly favor property, bank deposits, and guaranteed products over venture investing,” said Han Shen Lin, China managing director at The Asia Group, a Washington-based advisory firm.

“Against this backdrop, WAIC has become more than a technology showcase; it is now a geopolitical stage where Beijing seeks to articulate its vision ‌of AI ⁠as both a national priority and a diplomatic instrument,” wrote George Chen, chair of digital practice at The Asia Group.

With the approval, China “removes a long-time and major political uncertainty for Shein,” Han Lin, China director for consultancy firm The Asia Group, told AFP. “Beijing is signaling selective reopening, not deregulation — rewarding companies that strengthen China’s economy while remaining aligned with national security and regulatory priorities,” he added.

Kurt Tong, a former diplomat in Japan who is now a managing partner at the Asia Group, a consultancy, said he expected Japanese investment to rise significantly as a result of the deal. He added, though, that the $550 billion total was still probably “aspirational,” given that Japan’s entire investment stock in the United States

“Markets thrive in uncertainty but dealmaking does not,” said Han Lin, China country director of The Asia Group consultancy. “China’s slower growth, policy shifts, trade tensions have created volatility that is the bread and butter of trading desks.”

Han Lin, a cross-border finance specialist at The Asia Group consultancy, said Beijing’s move was driven by “concerns over capital outflows, regulatory sovereignty, and unlicensed offshore securities activity.  Future overseas deals will continue, but approvals will increasingly favor strategic sectors aligned with national priorities.”

Regarding the struggles of U.S. consumer brands in China, Han Lin, China Country Director at The Asia Group consultancy, said “The challenge comes from local substitutes offering comparable quality but at lower price points.  Even if not the best, all they have to be is good enough.“

“China’s “Middle Corridor” trade route is a strategic move to manage geopolitical risk rather than a mere logistics solution,” said Han Lin, China Country Director, The Asia Group. “By transforming transit nations like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey into vital connectors, China is signaling a broader shift where supply chain resilience is now valued over the

“There’s been a conscious effort by Beijing… to have the capital markets play a larger role in financing Chinese innovation,” Han Lin, China country director for The Asia Group, a consultancy, told AFP. “US-China tensions have positioned Hong Kong — whose currency is pegged to the US dollar — as a critical venue for Chinese firms