In this episode, Will Vogt, expert on Chinese tech policy and author of Foundations of the Chinese Internet, joins Steve Durbin to discuss how China’s approach to technology differs from the West’s, and what that means for Western organisations.
Drawing on years of doing business in China, Will explains why its centralised digital model is shaped by politics and history, and how Chinese investment in subsea cables, agritech and security infrastructure is reshaping markets across Africa and Latin America.
If China is spending a disproportionate amount of time in Timor-Leste, that might tell you more about Southeast Asian trade than any of the broader conversations…
Key Takeaways:
- Look beyond the chips.
- China’s digital model is political, not technical. Centralisation reflects deep historical concerns about instability and a priority on social cohesion.
- Emerging markets are the real frontier. Infrastructure investment in Africa and Latin America signals where Chinese influence, and business risk, is heading next.
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