China’s Crackdown on Big Tech

Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs

In October 2020, Chinese tech billionaire and founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, delivered a speech criticizing the Chinese government’s approach to digital financial regulation in the days before the 35 billion dollar initial public offering of Alibaba’s financial affiliate, Ant Group. Blocked by Chinese regulators shortly after Ma’s speech, Ant’s IPO never happened, and Ma mysteriously disappeared from public life for months thereafter. The blocking of Ant Group’s IPO was the start of a concerted campaign by Chinese regulators to crackdown on China’s biggest players in Tech, from giants in digital commerce to ride sharing. How has this crackdown taken shape, what was its impetus, and what does the crackdown mean for the future of China’s economy and its technological innovation? To help us answer these questions, today on the podcast we are joined by Dr. Scott Kennedy

Scott Kennedy is senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). A leading authority on Chinese economic policy, Kennedy has been traveling to China for over 30 years. His specific areas of expertise include industrial policy, technology innovation, business lobbying, U.S.-China commercial relations, and global governance. His articles have appeared in a wide array of policy, popular, and academic venues, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and China Quarterly. He is currently writing a report tentatively titled, Beyond Decoupling: Winning the Hi-Tech Competition Against China. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Hopkins Podcast on Foreign Affairs.

China’s Crackdown on Big Tech

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