Tough US immigration policy could be the key to China winning technology race, says top AI investor
- China wants world leadership in artificial intelligence by 2030, and Sinovation says bringing Chinese talent home from US will be part of that effort
- Venture capital firm’s president says there will be more investment in basic science research
Ning Tao, president and partner of Sinovation Ventures, one of China’s leading venture capital businesses with a focus on AI, said that while US President Donald Trump’s administration may use the 16-month trade war to stall Chinese technology companies by limiting their access to US-made chips and other key components, it would not stop China from hiring the best talent in the field.
The US has accused China of stealing intellectual property and unfairly subsidising its tech firms. It has also blacklisted Chinese tech giant Huawei from buying American components, and has since moved to targeting smaller Chinese start-ups
“The US has always imposed restrictions on the export of American technology to China. Whether it is IBM or Microsoft, they have always limited our access to higher-end processors,” Tao said at the Understanding China conference in the southern city of Guangzhou, an event staged by Beijing think tank the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy.
Those restrictions have had a bigger effect in recent times because there were more Chinese tech firms, particularly start-ups, Tao said.