ChinAI Newsletter

Hosted by Jeffrey Ding

Technology Society Culture Philosophy

Website RSS feed

Episodes

138

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-GB

About the show

Narrations of the ChinAI Newsletter by Jeffrey Ding. China is becoming an indispensable part of the global AI landscape. Alongside the rise of China’s AI capabilities, a surge of Chinese writing and scholarship on AI-related topics is shedding light on a range of fascinating topics, including: China’s grand strategy for advanced technology like AI, the characteristics of key Chinese AI actors (e.g. companies and individual thinkers), and the ethical implications of AI development. While traditional media and China specialists can provide important insights on these questions through on-the-ground reporting and extensive background knowledge, ChinAI takes a different approach: it bets on the proposition that for many of these issues, the people with the most knowledge and insight are Chinese people themselves who are sharing their insights in Chinese. Through translating articles and documents from government departments, think tanks, traditional media, and newer forms of “self-media,” etc., ChinAI provides a unique look into the intersection between a country that is changing the world and a technology that is doing the same.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 10, 20268 min

“ChinAI #370: Why is there No Star AI Company from Guangdong?” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mdf_gnfj4FFmo3_CArkGtZqN_6JbGtwYX1mgmKXsWTM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">The “Guangdong Faction” in the AI Wave</a></li><li><a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-340-year-end-reflections-by" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">ChinAI #340</a></li><li><a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-death-girl-chinese-gene-editing-trial-was-never-made-public" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">A fatal reaction</a></li><li><a href="https://www.duckofminerva.com/2026/06/how-russian-economic-policy-is-gender.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">How Russian Economic Policy is Gender</a></li><li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annatong/2026/08/05/silicon-valleys-other-china-problem-its-training-their-ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Silicon Valley’s Other China Problem: It’s Training Their AI</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: August 10th, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-370-why-is-there-no-star-ai?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-370-why-is-there-no-star-ai</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.

August 3, 20266 min

“ChinAI #369: My Boss Wants Me to Run Kimi K3, What Should I Do?” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-6rzM2Fn9Exj4noAOmWiIbuUsvTD-zA-_Vx76veeMTI/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">My Boss Asked Me to Deploy the Free K3 Model: I first calculated the “unaffordable” server costs</a></li><li><a href="https://github.com/kvcache-ai/AgentENV" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">AgentENV</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thedial.world/articles/news/chinese-micro-dramas?src=longreads" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Dopamine TV</a></li><li><a href="https://thezvi.substack.com/p/on-kimi-k3-its-capabilities-and-related" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">On Kimi K3 - Its Capabilities And Related Discontents</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nafsa.org/Duration-status-final-rule-press-statement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">NAFSA: Undermining International Student Stability Weakens U.S. National Interest</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: August 3rd, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-369-my-boss-wants-me-to-run?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-369-my-boss-wants-me-to-run</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.

July 27, 202610 min

“ChinAI #368: The Affordable Luxury of Kimi K3” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kqaSgExsreyNp9ezHu7synRY5fdHKCE04IXmX6TUx2A/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">100 RMB per Million Tokens: With Kimi Adopting “Affordable Luxury” Pricing, Will You Still Pay for K3</a></li><li><a href="https://aisafetychina.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">State of AI Safety in China</a></li><li><a href="https://x.com/zhang_benita/status/2079773209097031843" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Two interviews</a></li><li><a href="https://x.com/mablejiang/article/2035714797426413639" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">An interview</a></li><li><a href="https://www.governance.ai/post/head-of-us-policy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Head of US Policy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.governance.ai/post/dc-chief-of-staff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">DC Chief of Staff</a></li><li><a href="https://www.governance.ai/post/research-fellow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Research Fellow</a></li><li><a href="https://www.governance.ai/post/research-scholar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Research Scholar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.governance.ai/opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">GovAI Opportunities page</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: July 27th, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-368-the-affordable-luxury?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-368-the-affordable-luxury</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.

July 20, 20267 min

“ChinAI #367: Claude Code’s Future in China?” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://afraw.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Concurrent newsletter</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YBxA0i-jlqmy61YHHHm0sw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Thariq Shihipar</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/MxNwI05r11qnBjftuB61wg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">47.6%</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> The original text contained 1 footnote which was omitted from this narration. --- First published: July 20th, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-367-claude-codes-future-in?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-367-claude-codes-future-in</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>. ---<div style="max-width: 100%";>Images from the article:<a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!T8Gv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88827926-0cb9-4d2b-83c5-14879aed2ba9_1080x903.webp" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!T8Gv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88827926-0cb9-4d2b-83c5-14879aed2ba9_1080x903.webp" alt="Donut chart showing market share by company, "总体市场 ¥398.8M"." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</div>

July 13, 20267 min

“ChinAI #366: Most Companion Robots Die by Day 30” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/HNM7_aWoqgQIitDcwJZmAw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Huxiu piece</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91570086/ubtech-first-commercial-human-like-robot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Fast Company</a></li><li><a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-341-big-tech-v-the-chinese?utm_source=publication-search" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">ChinAI #341</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/11UUx3tPaHQR9Pf1VcSRlLFcK_qh7QA3eL6TC5y7oR6I/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Most Companion Robots Die by Day 30</a></li><li><a href="https://ocpl.substack.com/p/labelling-ai-generated-content-in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Labelling AI-Generated Content in China - Where the Rules Work and Where They Don’t</a></li><li><a href="https://www.chinafile.com/conversation/are-there-any-good-ideas-ai-governance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Are There Any Good Ideas for AI Governance?</a></li><li><a href="https://positionspolitics.org/fan-yang-back-to-the-future-a-walk-through-huaqiangbei-in-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Fan Yang, Back to the Future: A Walk through Huaqiangbei in 2025</a></li><li><a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/positions/article-abstract/24/3/589/21785/From-Bandit-Cell-Phones-to-Branding-the-Nation?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Shanzhai (or “knockoff”) cell phones</a></li><li><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09692290.2026.2674989" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Who is us: the globalization of innovation and challenges to assessing technological dependence</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: July 13th, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-366-most-companion-robots?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-366-most-companion-robots</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>. ---<div style="max-width: 100%";>Images from the article:<a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UKZk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc376bab8-c441-4f07-9c1f-414d99e9e26a_1000x558.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UKZk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc376bab8-c441-4f07-9c1f-414d99e9e26a_1000x558.png" alt="This image depicts the drop-off in users by Day 30. Source: Huxiu" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</div>

July 6, 20267 min

“ChinAI #365: Around the Horn (26th episode)” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-358-around-the-horn-25th-episode" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">ChinAI #358</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/HNM7_aWoqgQIitDcwJZmAw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Most Companion Robots Die by Day 30</a></li><li><a href="https://finance.sina.com.cn/wm/2026-07-01/doc-inifiaeq0896384.shtml?froms=ggmp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Release of AI Safety Benchmark Results for Agents (Claw-class) – Q2 2026 Edition</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/crcoyhZszN-Hle4aNQJcbg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">The First Shot in Domestic Compute for Training: Meituan’s LongCat-2.0 Officially Released</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3FtYxfJ7iTefX5333WXjQw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">American AI can no longer hide its ultimate ambition, giving China a major wake-up call</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YBxA0i-jlqmy61YHHHm0sw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">After hiding it for three months, Anthropic has removed hidden code that identified “Chinese AI”</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GjdPQ56_LoQ-dLVNUW7GHg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Doubao introduces paid tier, ranging from 68 to 5088 RMB: some people left but there are others who want the price to go up</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/J3WElkB5Qk_hRjTcCJRPHw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Zhipu vs. MiniMax is China’s projection of the Anthropic vs. OpenAI Rivalry</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ySmPBPEhdzDQ6140dsa9eQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">The Disappearing Human: is AI taking over the Internet?</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: July 6th, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-365-around-the-horn-26th-episode?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-365-around-the-horn-26th-episode</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>. ---<div style="max-width: 100%";>Images from the article:<a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vckw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F634c73fc-853b-4e16-a7a4-d8a58c45cc2f_358x197.jpeg" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vckw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F634c73fc-853b-4e16-a7a4-d8a58c45cc2f_358x197.jpeg" alt="ESPN's "Around the Horn" logo" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</div>

June 22, 20269 min

“ChinAI #364: Who is Us - the hybridization of innovation and challenges to assessing technological dependence” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/40073" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">China’s Leap into the Information Age</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: June 22nd, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-364-who-is-us-the-hybridization?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-364-who-is-us-the-hybridization</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>. ---<div style="max-width: 100%";>Images from the article:<a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YCBu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff55a6717-d15e-4284-ad67-d3ea0b994bf1_1112x266.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YCBu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff55a6717-d15e-4284-ad67-d3ea0b994bf1_1112x266.png" alt="Table showing three models of hybrid corporations with domestic and foreign ties configurations." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Auq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4d81baaa-1f72-42af-89f3-7a31e9011693_1106x480.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Auq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4d81baaa-1f72-42af-89f3-7a31e9011693_1106x480.png" alt="Ding 2026, “Who is Us,” p. 18" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IAt1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d79b05c-a648-479d-b827-0b701aaf2edd_1094x530.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IAt1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d79b05c-a648-479d-b827-0b701aaf2edd_1094x530.png" alt="Ding 2026, “Who is Us,” p. 22" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dnrq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dbb82e1-55d0-4864-83dc-8abac6278846_1102x698.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dnrq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1dbb82e1-55d0-4864-83dc-8abac6278846_1102x698.png" alt="Ding 2026, “Who is Us,” p. 24" style="max-width: 100%;" /></a>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</div>

June 15, 20266 min

“ChinAI #363: A College Admissions Advisor for 13 Million” by Jeffrey Ding

Plus, details on the college preference list, or what happens after the Gaokao? .Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BJAVFxdJHKYgjjHsgcmQ-mdVHEgbQG8eoQOAdHhDs7Q/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">An AI that serves as a reliable “college preference form partner” is the one truly “worthy of trust”</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ruixuejia.com/uploads/4/6/3/3/46339953/eliteuniversity.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Jia and Li (2021</a></li><li><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/10/military-ai-middle-power-anthropic-pentagon-pax-silica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Exporting U.S. Military AI Won’t Be Easy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thewirechina.com/2026/05/17/tp-links-american-dream/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">TP-Link’s American Dream</a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42260689-life" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Life</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: June 15th, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-363-chinas-first-college-admissions?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-363-chinas-first-college-admissions</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>. ---<div style="max-width: 100%";>Images from the article:<a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_-vy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18920e00-ec92-41a9-99d9-e57533313d77_1080x1498.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_-vy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18920e00-ec92-41a9-99d9-e57533313d77_1080x1498.png" alt="College entrance exam volunteer report showing score 560, ranked 21423, with university recommendations and major analysis." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DRxq!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5790a187-5442-4c29-b851-bd9db4efab0d_1080x662.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DRxq!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5790a187-5442-4c29-b851-bd9db4efab0d_1080x662.png" alt="Animation software interface showing pixel art characters and timeline." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</div>

June 8, 202610 min

“ChinAI #362: Chinese Encounters with “Artificial Challenged Intelligence” [人工智障]” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hPxiBFuVXeBrhP43HJ5v5svHVt8qSx7-ZTAvxRFc5kc/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">My “Artificial Challenged Intelligence” Moment</a></li><li><a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-112-part-ii-the-human-cost" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Chinese delivery drivers</a></li><li><a href="https://mattsheehan.substack.com/p/china-is-getting-worried-about-ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">China is getting worried about AI & jobs</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/119d8c3a-e10f-4bf7-a198-90507293054b?syn-25a6b1a6=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">How China is breaking apart a people and its culture</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Ehk4qOBCY23Fh5q_nhkkkw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">How did Hangzhou become more hardware-oriented</a></li><li><a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UZHipkFqJSnqJquEewNGXA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Today’s college students are living their university years like their final year of high school</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: June 8th, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-362-chinese-encounters-with?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-362-chinese-encounters-with</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>. ---<div style="max-width: 100%";>Images from the article:<a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yyFq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7f3719eb-1857-42ba-97d7-3786ac481ced_1080x571.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yyFq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7f3719eb-1857-42ba-97d7-3786ac481ced_1080x571.png" alt="A user asks Yuanbao to share information about a famous Chinese crosstalk comedy group. Source: Renwu." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a><hr style="margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 24px;" /><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_G-k!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7c30019-145b-48bf-a34e-b02fc690c30b_803x396.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_G-k!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd7c30019-145b-48bf-a34e-b02fc690c30b_803x396.png" alt="Survey question with response options highlighted, "Don't Know (Neither)" selected." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</div>

June 1, 20268 min

“ChinAI #361: What can CANN do for China’s independent compute capacity?” by Jeffrey Ding

Featured links<ul><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A1ZjAA-LdyF52Yyq9qscQy_6gt6vVlmPhOACx0VywW4/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Behind DeepSeek V4’s “Chip-Model Synergy”, the domestic computing ecosystem begins flywheel acceleration</a></li><li><a href="https://www.chinatalk.media/p/can-huawei-compete-with-cuda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">ChinaTalk article</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hiascend.com/cann" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Ascend forums</a></li><li><a href="http://China Is Testing Its State Surveillance Model Abroad" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">China Is Testing Its State Surveillance Model Abroad</a></li><li><a href="https://x.com/KirstyLNeedham/status/2059580109225607434" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Kirsty Needham</a></li><li><a href="https://x.com/simonw/status/2060209010486493500" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Simon Willison thread on thinness of AI-failure stories</a></li><li><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/june-2026-wonky-china-jeffrey-ding-george-washington-university-tickets-1989907834901" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">June 2026 Wonky China</a></li></ul> Thank you for reading and engaging These are Jeff Ding's (sometimes) weekly translations of Chinese-language musings on AI and related topics. Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University. Check out the archive of all past issues <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/archive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a> & please <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">subscribe here</a> to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay for a subscription will support access for all). Any suggestions or feedback? Let me know at <a href="mailto:chinainewsletter@gmail.com">chinainewsletter@gmail.com</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jjding99" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">@jjding99</a> --- First published: June 1st, 2026 Source: <a href="https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-361-what-can-cann-do-for-chinas?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-361-what-can-cann-do-for-chinas</a> --- Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=jeffrey_ding&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>. ---<div style="max-width: 100%";>Images from the article:<a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FaLq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ed5a06b-1980-46e7-ad38-703f7af4893c_1080x720.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FaLq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ed5a06b-1980-46e7-ad38-703f7af4893c_1080x720.png" alt="Photo of Kunpeng Ascend Developer Conference 2026. Source: KADC and QBitAI." style="max-width: 100%;" /></a>Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try <a href="https://pocketcasts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Pocket Casts</a>, or another podcast app.</div>