The U.S. and China are competing for global dominance of world-changing technologies. It's a pivotal moment. In the ebb and flow of history, economic powers shift from one country to the next.
The future of tomorrow is being driven by new economy breakthroughs and game-changing technologies that are being invented at a rapid clip.
As China seeks to grab tech leadership from the U.S., China technology benefits from massive government support pushing key technological sectors to be first in the world. Chinese startups have had the advantage of Silicon Valley venture capital funding their new ideas and scaling them to world-class, publicly traded tech leaders. Chinese tech companies have flexed their muscle by buying into America's frontier technology startups. Meanwhile, many American internet companies remain blocked in China or can't win against dominant Chinese competitors. It's no wonder that tensions are building over a trade and tech war between these two superpower nations. Read
Forbes:
Wake-up Call
As China Takes Aim, Silicon Valley Braces
for Pain: NY Times Clip with Silicon Dragon
"If China continues to push back, and we continue to push back, there will soon be dual technology standards," said Rebecca Fannin, author of the coming book "Tech Titans of China." "Prices will probably rise for components, which companies will pass along to consumers. But both sides will strengthen their innovation edge, and that helps the global economy."
SoftBank joins with other investors in setting up a $200 million fund to invest in early stage startups in Indonesia. Southeast Asia is increasingly of interest to venture investors.
VENTURE DEALS
Alibaba invests $150 million in online mathematics homework startup Knowbox30 in China.
Alibaba pumps $100 million investment into its Vmate video app in India, after having the missed this opportunity in China -- taken by ByteDance.
Tencent leads $250 million investment in social travel site Mafengwo.
SoFi raises $500 million in funding led by Qatar Investment Authority with SoftBank, Renren, Baseline Ventures and DCM.
PEOPLE
JP Gan of
Qiming Venture is reportedly moving on from the firm and is likely to set up his own venture fund.
NOTEWORTHY
China is powering ahead of the U.S. in race for mega-startups.
SCMP article uses China's
Starbucks challenger
Luckin Coffee as an example, since it recently went public in New York.
See my earlier posts in
Forbes on
Luckin Coffee in these columns:
coffee clash and
face-off.
Chinese robot kit startup finds a boost from US-China trade war.
Makeblock has replaced the U.S. chips it uses with ones produced domestically.
Nikkei.
TV Interviews
Bloomberg TV anchor Emily Changinterview: impact of US-China trade war on tech. "China-US trade war is just beginning," Rebecca A. Fannin, Silicon Dragon founder and author,Tech Titans of China.
Interview with
Voice of America: Silicon Valley has long been a power center of American innovation. Now that high-tech is also becoming a focus of tensions between the U.S. and China, companies based in the Valley are trying to understand how they fit in.