writer covering China | words in @newyorker ex @nytimes |🇯🇵🇨🇳🇺🇸| follow my writing and updates on Substack: https://xitter.cf/t.co/DwXYrsVmQb
Joined October 2011
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Just out: my interview with Yinfi, a former tech worker in Shanghai turned YouTuber, on the inner workings of Chinese tech companies.
The rise of China debunked a myth in the West that freedom of speech was critical to innovation—or so we thought. What if China’s tech rise resulted not in spite of freedom of speech, but from its selective accommodation?
Yinfi tells us about the hidden costs (and hidden liberties) of China's tech rise as well as the story of how the tech juggernaut he worked for, miHoYo, abandoned projects involving him as soon as he began raising uncomfortable questions about the political system.
Listen to our interview on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1GQ…
Transcript on substack: changche.substack.com/p/i-he…
Chang Che retweeted
We want to address recent reports regarding agent activity.
The activity originated from evaluations of third-party models, not Tencent Hy. During these evaluations, some agents exhibited unintended web-browsing behavior, but our review found no evidence of deliberate targeting or coordination. We take these findings seriously. We are strengthening network access controls and agent monitoring.
We are committed to building safe and responsible AI. Thanks to the community for their feedback.
Wow, this has echoes of the Zhu Ling case at Tsinghua, which still haunts so many Chinese people’s dreams
A Wyoming microbiology graduate student from China has been arrested on accusations she poisoned the tea of a colleague who had pending patents and with whom she didn't get along, then tried to flee the country after police questioned her. cbsn.ws/4zxi9t1
Something big happened in Chinese elite politics today:
Huang Qifan, the former mayor of Chongqing, was placed under investigation for corruption, and the rumor is that it has something to do with P2P lending though there are a bunch of other rumors. This is pretty momentous because Huang is a legendary technocrat who played a critical role in developing Shanghai's Pudong district. He was best known as one of the main architects of Bo Xilai's Chongqing Model, which he once dubbed "Marx plus Reagan."
Remarkably, Huang survived Bo's downfall in 2012 and remained mayor until 2016, then took an economic policy advisory role in Beijing. At the time, this was views as the result of his previous economic achievements and technocratic personality, which made him not so politically threatening (He had a COO personality, not a founder.)
That's why the charges today are strange. If you spared the COO then, why are you going after him now? From his books and writings, you can tell that Huang doesn't have that instinct for political maneuvering. The guy is an engineer/state planner through and through. As he once described his motto: "follow your heart’s desire without overstepping the line."
Whatever the reason, Huang was one of the highest-profile figures of the Chongqing era, providing a rival economic vision to Xi Jinping. With his downfall, that chapter of Chinese politics has come to a close.
In New York until Oct 23rd. If you read my newsletter or just want to grab a coffee, drop me a DM and say hi!
In @NewYorker today, I write about the "But China" problem—evoking China as the reason to avoid pausing or slowing down AI development and regulation. The argument, rooted in Western philosophy and its thought experiments, takes a sensible premise like self-improving AI and slips into sci-fi absurdity—killer robots, ethnically targeted bioweapons, supersoldiers—while ignoring basic realities of diffusion: how tech burrows into societies and organizations. As @jjding99 shows, the AI “race” is a marathon, not a sprint. Even god, if it is to mean something in this world, must come down to earth and grapple with all its messiness. newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
China has some of the most extensive AI regulations in the world, and yet their approach to AI's frontier risks—ways that the technology could cause large-scale existential harm—is severely lacking. So how did Beijing become the adult in the room?
My latest for @NYMag on how the U.S. ceded the AI-safety agenda to China:
nymag.com/intelligencer/arti…
The most notable mistranslations of the Trump-Xi summit. (or just slight infelicities)
1) At the banquet speech, Trump begins:
"I want to thank President Xi, my friend, for this magnificent welcome — and it really was a magnificent welcome like none other — and for so graciously hosting us on this very historic state visit.”
The Chinese translators sanitized him into bland diplomatic fare.
首先要感谢习近平主席这一盛大的欢迎，也非常感谢在这一次历史性的国事访问当中，非常慷慨地接待了我的代表团。First, I want to thank President Xi for this magnificent welcome. And for so graciously hosting my delegation during this historic state visit.
2) Trump ends his opening remarks as follows:
"This evening is another cherished opportunity to discuss among friends some of the things that we discussed today, all good for the United States and for China. And it was a great honor to be with you."
What’s important to note here is that Trump keeps his remarks focused on the US-China relationship and its benefit for the two countries. The Chinese translation added the following:
今天晚上将是我们另外的一次机会，能够共同再次讨论我们今天早些时候已经讨论到的一些问题，以及我们的共同利益，以及我们如何能够为全人类塑造更好更安全的未来。" This evening is another cherished opportunity to discuss among friends some of the things that we discussed today, about our mutual benefit, and how we can shape a better, safer future for all humanity.
3) A funny ad lib during Trump’s visit to the secretive imperial garden. Trump is marveling at the trees, when he remarks to Xi Jinping in his typical stuttering ramble:
"Nice place, nice place, I like it, I like it, I could get used to this."
The translator rendered this to Xi as:
很美的地方，我很喜欢，我喜欢这地儿，我这地儿能待得惯，我可能不想走 ! what a beautiful place, I like it a lot, I like this place, I can get used to this place, I don’t think I want to leave.”
This is great. Refreshing to see a sensible, and accurate, view of Chinese artificial intelligence platformed. Kudos @kyleichan
I had an awesome time talking with @DouthatNYT on his Interesting Times podcast for The New York Times. nytimes.com/2026/05/14/opini…
New piece in @NewYorker on the microdrama boom — the vertical, minute-long soaps originating in China and dominating the world. Roughly a tenth of humanity has watched one, and new ventures are sprouting up in almost every major country. The industry is still young, but it may be the future of entertainment and a critical bellwether of how AI will transform the future of entertainment. 🧵
4/ it’s become very clear that in China this kind of AI replacement is almost a necessity of survival (competition is so fierce) while there is much more resistance in the US, which is exemplified by one executive at FlareFlow a microdrama popular platform that said they’re reducing 75% of actors in China but are still cautious about reducing actors in the U.S.
