"Technology is global by definition, and it's without borders"

The book delivers an informative, detailed reality check for the future of tech, with a great focus on AI and the existing 'Titans' - or big dogs of the country. Each company is presented through a tidy little profile, case studies are packed and no failed business - in the US or China - was left unnamed.

The information is great. It goes into a lot of detail about the financial history behind recent bust and boom's in China - many of which I regret not following at the time. I vividly recall vividly losing my OFO bike deposit and not quite understanding why. Further, I found the book allowed me the opportunity to reflect and correct my own misconceptions formed by anecdotal experience - such as believing Baidu was useless due to it's notoriously outdated English search results, despite being the winning Chinese language search engine.

The fact that one case study - Didi - is already totally outdated despite the book not yet being published is further testament to the pace of tech developments in China and actually further emphasises the arguments of the book. I can't fault the nuanced line of discussion, extremely well-researched analysis and understanding of the leaders in the Chinese market.

Finally - who doesn't love a book that throws in a tip or two around short term loan start up's, reminding readers "don't fill out the form in all capital letters. WeLab has found applicants who write in upper case are not good credit risks".

5/5

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Those of us who live in the West would be familiar with the Tech Titans of America, in particular, the Silicon Valley of California. At the end of the Millenium, there were the AOLs, Blackberrys, IBMs, the HPs, the Ciscos, the Dells, Yahoo, and so on. Today, these companies have been eclipsed by Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, and so on. Like the common saying that the big will eat up the small, the new threat to these Western Tech Titans are coming from East Asia, namely, China. Calling them the BATs of China, these rising tech titans of China (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) are challenging the FANGS (Facebook, Amazon/Apple, Netflix, Google) in the search, e-commerce, social networking, and many other technology domains. WeChat's userbase has surpassed WhatsApp. China's Silicon Dragon is China's emerging equivalent of Silicon Valley. In fact, China has grown from copying to innovating. If imitation is the biggest form of flattery, the successes of many Chinese tech firms have been validated with Western firms doing the copying instead. Facebook imitates WeChat's messaging features. Amazon has to play catchup in some areas too. Even the giant Apple are copying some of Xiaomi's business model. It is not just the speed of innovation that is catching up, it is also about the super-quick time that these Chinese corporations need to overtake their Western counterparts. Like the words of Gary Rieschel, "China is going to eat Silicon Valley's lunch." While it is true that some areas of advancement are due to government protectionist measures, a sizable chunk of innovation is due to the relentless entrepreneurial spirit and hardworking culture so synonymous with the Chinese. Not only that, the work rate of the Chinese is unmatched. Working over 12 hours per day, six days a week, and having meetings on weekends. Many of these are all-nighters that reflect a workaholic culture not often seen in America. With an enormous domestic market, a relentless entrepreneurial spirit, a workaholic culture, and a protectionist government, all signs point to inevitable domination within China first, and the world next.

Part One gives us many reasons why China is winning the tech wars. The BATs are now playing on the leading edge advantage. Baidu leads the Chinese search market. Alibaba dominates online shopping and Tencent (best known for WeChat) majors on social media and digital networking. They however are not alone. They are being pursued by the chasing pack TMD (Toutian, Meituan, and Didi). Not only that, the Chinese titans are shrewd acquisitors of startups and investors in many venture capital firms in the US. Not only are they big, but their ambitions are also bigger. They target other countries in South East Asia, India, and others. For US companies trying to enter China, they face an uphill task, making them late or rare entrants to a dynamic domestic Chinese market. Only a few like Starbucks and AirBnB managed to crack the China code. Fannin gives us some tips on how to do business in China, making this book less about fear of China's titans, but a gateway into how to work within the limitations of Chinese society. Part Two is about the financial resources to enable these companies to grow big and go international. From ambitious investments to fund-raising initiatives, IPOs to venture capitalists, money, and thirst are driving them to attain world domination at all costs. Many of the major venture capital companies are co-owned by Chinese and US power players. With top management talent trained in prestigious universities in America, brilliant minds are also powering the titans. Parts Three and Four show us the future battlegrounds to be fought on. This includes AI in a wide range of sectors; breakthroughs via ride-sharing transportation; e-commerce, online shopping, electric vehicles, drones, robots, as well as communications technologies.

My Thoughts
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The growth of the Chinese economy is a miracle in itself. Not only has China grown from follower to leading-edge, but she has also managed to pull herself out of poverty. The country no longer talks about surviving but thriving. Fueled by domestic demand and widespread competition, these tech titans can only grow bigger, faster, and better. A confident China is now competing with the US in not just technology but in every sector. This includes Automobiles, Energy, Food, and Space Exploration. At this rate, they will overtake America in many traditional strongholds of the West. Does this mean one should fear the tech titans of China? Not really. The author writes in a way in the hope that American leaders will wake up from any complacency and pay attention to a changing new world. This world is no longer just about American power, but a domain that needs to be shared. Inter-dependence is the way forward. Both China and the US need each other to prosper. There is no joy in seeing anyone stumble. That is probably the best way to maintain synergy, not on the basis of nationalistic stances or political pride, but shared success for the sake of human advancement. While it is good to learn to overtake rivals, at the end of it all, we need to reflect on the purpose of what we all are doing. Together, we can do more. Hopefully, this mantra will be incorporated more through joint initiatives and common projects. Healthy competition is best. Suspicions should be minimal. Cooperation upheld.

This book gives readers in the West many insights into the dynamism of the Chinese economy. Many of the household names are still unknown outside of China. Plus, the names of Chinese companies tend to be too language-limited, making it hard to pronounce by Westerners. Even the author has to show us how to explicitly say the names. Maybe, it is time for the West to wake up to the challenge. More importantly, they could maximize the talent they have within their institutions. For instance, there are Americans who are fluent in both Sino-US cultures, languages, and common interests. Why not enable them to build bridges toward mutual benefit? It is better to make friends than to foster enemies. I would urge readers not to be afraid of China. They are simply learning the ropes of growth. Many of the entrepreneurs are young and desperate to learn. Perhaps, humility should be the guiding principle of all working relationships. See the big picture of mutual benefits instead of mere competition. See the bigger picture of shared profits as we use our shared resources on this earth. There are a lot of global problems that need all of our attention. Issues like Global Warming, World Poverty, Intellectual Property, and so on. If there is any single thing to be afraid of, it is not about winning or losing. It is about failing to learn the lessons played out before us.

Rebecca A. Fannin is a leading expert on global innovation. As a technology writer, author and media entrepreneur, she began her career as a journalist covering venture capital from Silicon Valley. She speaks frequently at major business, tech, and policy forums, and has provided testimony to a US Congressional panel about China's Internet.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Nicholas Brealey Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

China has emerged as a rising star of the global economy. While COVID pummeled countries to their knees, China came out on top, growing at a blistering pace. If you wonder why, this book might put a little light on what China truly has become.

From an underestimated sweatshop of the world to the innovator that the world wants to copy. The book profiles some of China’s success stories like Alibaba and Tencent, which have recently come under the hammer of the Chinese government.

Despite all their flaws, these companies offer a warning for the American tech giants – they are not content to dominate China but have their sights against the global leaders like Apple, Google and Facebook.

If you want to understand the tectonic shifts taking place this book will help you on your journey. It’s succinct, interesting and to the point.

I just reviewed Tech Titans of China by Rebecca Fannin. #TechTitansOfChina #NetGalley A well researched book and very detailed. I would highly recommend to those that want to learn more about China.

It has been a while since the last time I’ve read about the tech companies in China. Every time I read a new book about this topic I learn new things. This may reflect how fast innovation is going on in China today.

This book is full of information on how tech companies in China such as Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and others shape the digital landscape of the world. China is increasingly becoming a powerhouse of technological innovation in a very rapid way.

Readers who are looking for what is happening in the tech sector of China will definitely enjoy this book.

***I was granted an ARC of this via Netgalley from the publisher.***

China has become hard to ignore. After some false starts in the last century, the country has becoming one of the fastest and biggest economies in the world. One sector in which this is happening is technology, with advances in China doing just as well and, in some cases, surpassing Silicon Valley’s innovations. This is explored in the book, Tech Titans of China: How China’s Tech Sector is Challenging the World by Improving Faster, Working Harder & Going Global by Rebecca Fannin. Fannin is a technology writer, author and media entrepreneur that has have extensive experience in China and has written about the country before. Fannin puts that experience to good use by giving an in-depth look at how the technology sector where “China’s game-changers are already on par with and, in some cases, ahead of the United States.” She guides us through the rise of the Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, three of the biggest tech companies in China and what strategies they are employing that have been key to their success. The reader gets a clear look at their efforts to expand market share, the big M&A’s they make to stay ahead and grow and the up and coming companies that may challenge them. If one comes to this book with the idea that the US is secure with its place on top in the tech sector this book will put that to bed. The author does an excellent job in surveying the fields of shared economy (shared bikes, ride sharing) AI, electric vehicles, drone and robots and showing the advances and innovations these companies have made in these areas. This has prompted many US companies to try to enter the Chinese market, but few have been successful. The ones that have survived, Starbucks, AirBnB and others are highlighted by the author and the reasons for their success explored. The author throughout the book makes it a point to tell the reader that the US at the moment may this be a leader in tech but the work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit of the Chinese may soon see them become where Silicon Valley looks to for inspiration and not the other way around. If you are interested in the growing technology sector of the Chinese economy, then this is the book for you.

Rating: 4 stars. Would recommend to a friend interested in Chinese markets and business.

If you read news about US companies in China and their counterpart competitors, you will know some of the companies mentioned in Tech titans of China. For exa - coffee, airbnb and so on. Recently I read Kai-Fu Lee's AI Superpowers. With this background, the author has provided lots of numbers on the money that is being pushed into startups, patents, R&D and the whole VC scene. You will definitely take notice of the trend and the tussle. Each of the big companies themselves will probably need a deep dig of a book on their own, to understand how the companies were able to achieve what they did.