How China has grown by leading in AI , Technology and Communications

From imitator to innovator

China has adopted AI and Technology and in the last 12 years has transformed itself into a juggernaut with DeepSeek. Temu. TikTok - and many others China Tech Is Starting to Pull Ahead.

 China is no longer  a backwater - but the most technologically advanced nation in the world.

As Napoleon said 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙚

Interesting post from Eric Schmidt - Former Chairman and CEO of Google 

In 2023, I visited Beijing with Henry Kissinger on his final trip. A lot has changed on the ground since then. When Selina Xu from my team visited earlier this year, the signs of advancements in Chinese tech were everywhere, from #DeepSeek to drones delivering food to electric cars whizzing past on the streets. 

More optimism was in the air too, despite the uncertainty of the trade war.

We wrote an essay, now live on The New York Times, about how America should reckon with China’s growing lead in technology, especially in AI. 

Read it here:  https://lnkd.in/e4N5BEQx

It’s not hard to imagine teens worldwide hooked on Chinese apps and AI companions, with autonomous Chinese-made agents organizing our lives, and businesses with services and products powered by Chinese models.

In a dozen years, China has gone from a ‘copycat nation’ to a juggernaut with world-class products that have at times leapfrogged those in the West. Along the way, the country also cultivated an abundance of STEM talent, robust supply chains, incredible manufacturing heft, and a domestic ecosystem so brutally competitive that the only way to survive is to never stop iterating.

This future is already arriving—unless America gets its act together - it may get left behind !!

#AI #China #tech #tariffs #

Some comments

• Whoever can iterate and innovate will lead the trend 

• Maybe their political system has some merit?

• Mobile Payments & Digital Wallets - WeChat Pay & Alipay launched in China in 2013 | Apple Pay & Google Pay 2016–2017—4 to 6 YEARS later. 

2. QR Code Payments - China & Korea’s retail industry has used QR codes for payments since 2011 | WeChat Pay and Alipay universal in 2014 | U.S. stores didn’t widely accept QR payments until 2020

3. AI-Integrated Super Apps - WeChat, QQ, and Line became super apps in Asia by 2015 | U.S. trying X (Twitter)—but failing

4. Augmented Reality (AR) Shopping & Virtual Try-Ons - Alibaba launched AR-powered shopping in 2017 | Korea’s Lotte & China’s JD com in 2018 | Amazon and Walmart are JUST NOW testing AR shopping in 2024

5. AI-Powered Facial Recognition & ID Verification - China’s national facial recognition system in 2015. Singapore and Korea in 2017 | U.S. JUST STARTED testing in 2023

6. AI-Powered Digital Bank & FinTech Revolution 2017

7. Adaptive AI & Personalized Learning Platforms 2017

8. Fully Automated AI-Run Factories 2016

9. AI-Powered AR/VR Ecosystems 2018

• Samuel Decio 

they have passed us in many mainstream technological applications like payments for train and subway access and seamless Internet. They had a greater percent of hybrid/EV cars then and it's accelerating. It was nice to travel around with no litter, crime and a society that was peaceful and motivated.  

And more..... 

• Bruce Guile

The challenge is not to “beat” China but to continue to benefit from their rise and investment — and make our own material contribution to US and global prosperity —without losing the freedoms, human rights, and unique can-do spirit that has buoyed America for the last 200+ years.  America alone, or in competition for some elusive “first place,” IS a recipie for decline.

• Francis Zhou 

if one nation, more than 30% of people are learning to improve, then they will grow.  

• James Schauer

This notion that 'inexpensive Solar Panels, EVs and great AI' is somehow 'detrimental' is a bit upside down. The fact that people are 'making great stuff' is an opportunity for everyone ... if we can work it out; unfortunately we're inclined to view 'success' as 'threat' which is not good.

• VGV VG Vignesh 

Big 📍 Pin pointed lessons & prescriptions there not only for US but for India also Sir..

Eric Schmidt🏌️🙏

"COPY CAT NATION" is aptly put, given their track record in Reverse Engineering, IP Thefts, Source Code hijacks (🤣), BBS Model (Beg, Borrow, Steal) and then beat all the competitors BRUTALLY ..

via 

Economies of Scale & Scope initiating a Global Price War (BYD crushing TESLA being the latest !!)

Business is WAR in its purest sense.. 🏹🏹

In Love, War & Business only OUTCOMES matter and the end justifies the means even if it means hijacking the "Source Code" 😎😎

The key lessons and take aways for India from the above are

1. Cultivate & Create ABUNDANCE of STEM 

    talent..

2. Produce "World Class Products" not Fancy 

    Ice Creams & Cup Cakes 😂🍹..

3. Brutal & Robust Manufacturing Heft..

4. Huge FOREX Reserves a.k.a War Chest @ 

    USD 3 Tn.. ++ to cushion any stunning 

    surprises that POTUS DJT 🏌️ will keep 

    pumping !!

5. Big Bang Approach to Rural Development & 

    Tourism..

India really needs Economic TRANSFORMATION not Economic TINKERING !!

GoI + All States + 140 Crore People must all PULL in one direction.

India needs a benevolent DICTATOR akin to Lee Kuan Yew @ Singapore or atleast a two party democracy like the USA...

Lee Kuan Yew had explained this issue very well long ago..

An IDEA whose time will come..

🙏🇮🇳💙

• Jack MA’s masterclass 

• Roger Morgan quotes Professor Andrew Fisher 

When asked about the global future of science and technology, he noted that a fair valuation on the wealth of a nation was on the patents they file. 

….At the start of the last century, it was Europe that was powerhouse, then massively overtaken by the USA, now it’s China who are moving ahead at an accelerating rate. 

Interesting to see what happens globally next.

• Eugene Tukerev

Emm, copycat nation?.. Here’s a list of Chinese inventions used worldwide:

• Papermaking

• Printing

• Compass

• Gunpowder

• Porcelain

• Paper money

• Silk production

• Tea cultivation

• Seismograph

• Matches

• Toothbrush

• Kites

• Abacus

• Alcoholic beverages

• Row crop farming

• Umbrella

• Acupuncture

• Wheelbarrow

• Suspension bridge

• Mechanical clock

Oh, and I had to use Perplexity to get that list.

• Marenco Kemp

 "scarcity brings clarity" -  whenever one has to do more with less - innovation and growth thrive !

. Thanks to US sanctions, China has taken this to another level and will continue to do so.

• Matthias Schuller 

Will U.S. tariffs and export controls accelerste China's technological ascent.China's substantial investments in R&D, particularly in AI and semiconductors, coupled with its strategic shift towards self-reliance, are fostering a robust innovation ecosystem. The nation’s focus on indigenous innovation and diversification of trade partnerships signals long-term ambition, not short-term reaction.

Eric Schmidt’s post 

So what’s the next wave to 2030?

2019 - Netflix and Reed Hastings  

People, Content And a global scalable 

Subscription model gives investors a 40X return

2025 - NVIDIA and Jensen Huang 

AI Agents, Content And a global scalable 

Subscription model 

gives investors a 100X return

2030- ?

What’s the next wave?

#futuristic #nextwave #prediction

What are the services and supporting businesses that will spin out from these waves ?

Are you riding it? 

If not , what are you planning to do to get on it?? 

Tokenization of Real-World Assets will Transform Our Economy

It’s not a question of if Trading assets will be digitised and traded on the blockchain - it’s a question of when and who will be the dominant players 

Jake Claver, QFOP | Managing Director - Digital Ascension Group wrote an excellent article on “How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will Transform Our Economy” - below is a summary 

What is Blockchain Tokenisation 

Tokens don’t replace assets - they enable the value of those assets to be transferred  to others in an efficient and effective way  

Tokenisation is a new digital framework for handling real-world value. This isn’t about futuristic coins or NFTs—it's about turning everyday assets into something programmable and tradable, without needing an overhaul of how those assets are structured at their core.

The idea is simple but powerful: you take an existing financial asset—like a loan, a share of real estate, or a government bond—and create a digital version of it on a blockchain. 

Once that happens, that asset becomes easier to move, quicker to settle, and more accessible to a broader range of investors. It's not a new kind of value—it’s a new way of moving what’s already there.

Real world assets include

• Private credit - $1.5 trillion
• US treasuries. - $25 trillion
• Gold, oil etc - $37 trillion 
• Institutional funds - $100 trillion 
• Real estate - $326 trillion
• Public Equities - $120 trillion 
• Bonds - $140 trillion 
• Specialised Markets - carbon credits, art, luxury vehicles etc $1 trillion 
• Insurance and Money markets $16 trillion 
• Derivatives - $1.5 quadrillion 

Each of the above have a fraction of assets on the blockchain - it’s only a matter of time that trading assets on the blockchain will become ubiquitous 

Private Credit

• $1.5 trillion globally,
• $12 billion of that has been tokenized—less than 1%. 
• $1.2 billion traded daily 

• Running on EVM-compatible blockchains like Ethereum and Polygon, with some exploring Solana.
• Projects like Maple Finance, Centrifuge, Arch Lending, and Goldfinch are offering on-chain lending backed by digital collateral. 

US Treasuries: Safe, Stable, and Going Digital

• $25 trillion in size, with $600 billion trading daily. 
• Around $4 billion worth of Treasuries have been tokenized so far

• Ondo Finance is a standout in this space, offering tokenized Treasury products on EVM chains. 
• Franklin Templeton has gone a different route, opting to use Hyperledger. 
• Investors can instantly move into tokenized Treasuries, keeping yield and stability without leaving the ecosystem.

Tokenized Commodities: Gold, Oil, and Beyond

• $37 trillion -  The global commodities market
• $1 billion worth of commodities has been tokenized so far, concentrated in tokenized gold.
• Projects like PAX G on Ethereum and Cometec on XDC 
• Blockchains can handle complex contracts, like warehouse receipts, futures agreements, or physical delivery terms—features that go beyond simple spot trading.

Institutional Funds

• $100 trillion of Hedge funds, mutual funds, and other managed portfolios 
• only a few billion dollars’ worth have been tokenized on Layer 2 Ethereum solutions, while Arca and Franklin Templeton are experimenting on Hyperledger.
• Fractional ownership, more efficient reporting
• Regulatory clarity is the sticking point, but as those rules get defined, this is being resolved 

Real Estate - massive potential 

• $326 trillion, real estate is by far the largest asset class. 
• $3 billion of it has been tokenized so far. 
• there are title companies, escrow processes, banks, and regulatory frameworks that slow things down. Once sorted - will shorten transaction timelines and open up fractional investment to a broader audience.
• Platforms like RealT, HoneyBricks, and Red Swan are showing what’s possible. 
• SPV-based models with structures where the token represents a share in a holding company that owns the asset, rather than the property itself.

 

Public Equities

• $120 trillion - Global equity markets with daily trading volumes of about $500 billion. 
• $15 billion worth of equities have been tokenized in publicly visible ways.
• Private chains like R3 Corda and projects like the DTCC’s Project Ion are building out the infrastructure for real-time settlement of stocks , eliminating the T+1 settlement delay reducing risks and operational costs.

Bonds

• $140 trillion in outstanding issuance, they’re too big to ignore. 
• $15 billion worth has been tokenized 
• HSBC, UBS, and SDX are already using private blockchains like Corda and Hyperledger to create digital versions of these instruments.
• Because these networks allow for privacy between institutions while still providing blockchain settlement features, they’re likely to dominate in this space—especially for large issuances that require complex terms and confidentiality.

Specialized Markets

Some niche but meaningful markets are also being transformed through tokenization:

• Carbon Credits: Roughly 5% of the $2 billion market has already been tokenized. Platforms like Toucan Protocol and KlimaDAO are active here.
• Intellectual Property: With a $500 billion market size, IP rights are being tokenized by players like IPWE (on Hyperledger and Casper) and BitSong (music royalties on Cosmos).
• Luxury Vehicles: Only 0.08% of this $620 billion market has been tokenized, with early experiments from Curio Invest and CoinEarth.
• Collectibles & Art: These markets have slightly higher penetration, with platforms like Masterworks and Courtyard pushing fine art and collectibles onto chains like Ethereum and Polygon.

Stablecoins, Money Markets, and Insurance Are Laying the Groundwork

• Stablecoins: These now represent over $225 billion in circulation and are increasingly becoming the digital cash of blockchain networks.
• Money Markets: Franklin Templeton, Circle, and Arch are building tokenized versions, but so far it’s only $1.5 billion—barely a start in a $6.5 trillion sector.
• Insurance: Just $225 million tokenized so far in a market worth over $8 trillion, but the potential is enormous—especially for automating claims and accelerating payouts.

Derivatives

• between  $1 and $2 quadrillion in notional value. 
• $5 billion has been tokenized. 
• Tokenization could bring transparency to one of the most opaque corners of finance.
• Platforms like Injective and Synthetix are making early moves, and private solutions like Corda may end up dominating here too.

Which Blockchains Stand to Benefit the Most?

Here’s how things are shaping up in terms of who’s best positioned:

• XRP Ledger: Especially via its EVM sidechain and ties with Corda—great for settlement and institutional compatibility.
• Polygon (MATIC): A strong generalist across most asset types, especially due to its developer ecosystem.
• Stellar (XLM): Deep in Treasury tokenization, especially with Franklin Templeton’s work.
• Algorand (ALGO): Potential dark horse in IP rights and commodities.
• Avalanche (AVAX): Well-suited for private markets, especially with its subnet model.
• Hedera (HBAR): Playing well in carbon credits, stablecoins, and institutional tools.
• Provenance / Cosmos (HASH / ATOM):Focused on insurance and other permissioned-use cases.

The Big Picture

The shift to tokenized finance is happening. It’s not a question of if - but when and what platforms! 

Patforms are solving real problems for big, old markets that have never moved quickly before.

If you're trying to figure out where this is all headed, start by watching where the institutions are already placing their bets.

Your top 20% will give you 120% of your profit - your bottom 20% will lose the 20%

I’m sure you’re heard of the 80/20 rule where 20% of your products , services or people deliver 80% of your revenue, profit and results 

But there’s a less well-known paradigm which is the 20/120 rule which shows:

In terms of product 

• Your top 20% of products could be generating an impressive 120% of your profit.
• Your bottom 20% of products might be losing you 20% of that profit.

In terms of people 

• Your top 20% are your high performers who consistently overachieve. You’ll often find these people doing 120% of quota etc.
• Your middle 60% are somewhat mediocre. They have potential but may lack coaching, systems, or accountability.
• The bottom 20% often need to be retrained, repositioned, or exited. They might not be the right fit.

In other words, your weakest performers aren't just underperforming; they're actively costing you money and eating into your best results.

The success of a business is  not about the people - it’s about the right people 

Once you've identified the underperforming 20%, you have critical choices to make:

• For Products and Services: redesign, repackage, or bundle with successful offerings -or cut 

For Employees:  Is underperformance due to skills gaps or being in the wrong role. If they have the right attitude, targeted training or repositioning within the company can help them thrive. But if they're fundamentally unsuitable, cut!!!

Cut

Cutting may free up valuable resources, time, money, and headache enabling you to invest in areas that truly create a leaner, more efficient, and more profitable organization.

❓Are you measuring your performance to determine what or who  works or doesn’t ?

❓ Do you have KPIs that measure performance and hold people or products  accountable?  (including for yourself as the owner)

Thanks Rashid Kotwal for the insight http://www.revealedresources.com/

visionary insights from the „Next Horizon Thinking“ Masterclass with Craig Rispin CSP and Ashton Bishop of Step Change

Great insights from Gunnar Habitz after attending the futurist  Craig Rispin’s Masterclass 

Craig had helped many companies from Apple to ASX200 companies challenging their strategic planning activities.

He is known as a „crystal ball dressed in a suit“ being steps ahead of others.

What comes first when you create your strategy: the immediate future or the time afterwards?

💡

We don‘t define the next step but rather the next step after and then work backwards 

Most of us feel the challenge of crafting a winning strategy.

Especially in disruptive times like now with AI being everywhere - it is a real struggle to get it right - instead of just saying

 „we will just grow by 10%“.

Should  data becomes a business asset that should be valued and included in the balance sheet 

How get the right data we need and can we use it?

Here are my key takeaways from this insightful workshop:

1. Strategy is a choice of how and where to invest our resources to gain an expected outcome.

2. Moore‘s Law of doubling computing power regularly turned into 150X growth due to AI progress.

3. AI helps normal people build, ship and market products easily.

4. AI becomes a disruptive shortcut for manual tasks like compliance checks.

5. Storing data as the fuel of innovation moves from data centres to storing inside the DNA (!).

How do you advance your business in the age of AI everywhere to lead and don‘t keep left behind?

#innovation #strategy #digitalmarketing

🌾 The Future of Agribusiness: Innovation, Resilience, and Growth 🌍

My friend Zsolt Nagy is arguably one of the most connected humans on the planet.

He has various onterests around the world 🌍, including an agribusiness in Slovakia .

Here is his takeouts from a mastermind of 168 agribusiness leaders and innovators from around the world at a high-level strategic forum, , where they  tackled some of the most pressing challenges and groundbreaking opportunities shaping the future of agriculture.

🌾 The Future of Agribusiness: Innovation, Resilience, and Growth 🌍

This wasn’t just a program—it was a global exchange of ideas, exploring how we can future-proof agribusiness through innovation, sustainability, and strategic adaptation.

🔥 Key themes that shaped our discussions:

🌍 Climate Resilience – The impact of shifting weather patterns on crop yields and how adaptive farming can mitigate risks.

📊 Data & Technology – Precision farming, AI-driven decision-making, and automation as the foundation of modern agribusiness.

🌾 Sustainability & Consumer Demand – How transparency, regenerative practices, and alternative food systems are reshaping the industry.

💼 Strategic Business Models – Agility, market diversification, and value-chain collaboration as tools for long-term success.

What truly set this gathering apart were the real-world case studies, offering deep insights into the transformations happening across Europe and Slovakia. From agritech-driven efficiency in Central Europe to the rise of biogas as a sustainable energy source, the message was clear—small, smart changes drive exponential impact.

💡 Key takeaways as an agribusiness expert:

🔸 Technology is no longer optional—it’s the competitive edge that will define the next generation of agricultural success.

🔸 Collaboration is power—supply chain resilience depends on stronger partnerships between farmers, processors, and retailers.

🔸 Adaptability is survival—those who embrace new revenue streams, sustainable models, and consumer-driven changes will lead the industry.

With agriculture in Slovakia and Europe undergoing a major transformation, the opportunity to drive meaningful change has never been greater. 🚜💡 From integrating renewable energy to expanding precision agriculture, I am more motivated than ever to apply these insights and push the boundaries of what’s possible in our industry.

🌟 What trends or innovations do you see shaping the future of agribusiness in 2025? Let’s connect and discuss!

#Agribusiness #Innovation #Sustainability #FutureOfFarming #AgricultureLeadership #AgriTech #Growth

Here is his LinkedIn  post 

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Future of jobs report #wef world economic forum

Interesting analysis by Kala Philip of BSI Learning re the future of jobs report in 2025 from the World Exonomic Forum 

https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/digest/

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 predicts a net increase of 78 million jobs globally by 2030, with Australia experiencing a 7% growth in total employment. 

However, these changes will not come without disruption. Approximately 20% of careers are expected to undergo fundamental shifts due to the rapid pace of social, economic, and technological changes. 

Roles expected to see the most growth include:

💥*Frontline positions: Delivery drivers, construction workers, farmworkers, sales professionals, and food processing workers.

💥*Care economy jobs: Aged care workers, social workers, nurses, and schoolteachers.

💥*Technology specialists: Data analysts, artificial intelligence (AI) specialists, software engineers, and fintech professionals.

💥*Green economy roles: Electric vehicle specialists, renewable energy engineers, and environmental engineers.

Effective reskilling and upskilling initiatives, along with improving talent progression and promotion, are also seen as holding high potential for talent attraction. 

Funding for - and provision of - reskilling and upskilling are seen as the two most welcomed public policies to boost talent availability.

BSI Learning BSI Digital Learning

#referron -#bsifinance