From Factory of the World to AI Superpower: Will China Become the Leading Tech Nation?

Topic

Over the past decades, China has transformed from the "world’s factory" into a technological powerhouse. In key areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, and digital platforms, the Chinese government is driving technological change through targeted strategies and massive investments. But how sustainable is this rise? What role do political governance, market mechanisms, and international challenges play?

In this Global China Conversation, Prof. Dr. Genia Kostka(Freie Universität Berlin) and Fabian Westerheide (entrepreneur, author, investor) will discuss China’s technological ambitions, regional disparities, and global impact. Moderated by Fabian Peltsch (China.Table), the conversation will offer valuable insights into current developments and long-term perspectives.

Program

The event consists of different impulse lectures followed by a discussion.  

The Global China Conversation #38 will be held in German. 

Prof. Dr. Genia Kostka

Genia Kostka is Professor of Chinese Politics at the Freie Universität Berlin. Her research focuses on China’s digital transformation, environmental politics and political economy. Her most recent research project explores how digital technologies are integrated into local decision-making and governance structures in China (ERC Starting Grant 2020-2025). Previously, she was Professor of Governance of Energy and Infrastructure at the Hertie School, Assistant Professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and strategic management consultant for McKinsey & Company.

Her work has appeared in leading area studies and social science journals including Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Politics, Regulation & Governance, Big Data & Society, New Media & Society, Environmental Politics, and The China Quarterly. Alongside her academic work, she regularly consults for international organizations, including the World Bank, OECD, AusAID, GIZ, and Oxfam.

Fabian Westerheide

Fabian J. G. Westerheide is recognised as one of the leading minds in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in Germany and is valued for his visionary approach, which is based on his childhood passion for science fiction. His ambitious goal is to make Europe a strong and sovereign player in the global AI ecosystem. As an investor, entrepreneur and networker in the field of AI, he has accompanied and shaped countless companies and institutions on their way into the future of AI. His insights and speeches reflect a deep understanding of the strategic, political and economic dimensions of AI.

As founder and CEO of AI for Humans GmbH, Fabian is a recognised advisor to numerous government institutions and Fortune 500 companies. Together with his wife, he hosts the annual „Rise of AI“ conference, the most important industry gathering for the key players in the German AI ecosystem.

With the AI Fund, of which he is a founding partner, he invests in AI companies and thus drives the development of integration. He has been privately investing in artificial intelligence companies for the family holding company’s investment arm „Asgard Capital“ since 2014.

As author of the book „The AI Nation“, Fabian Westerheide combines his rich experience with a unique perspective to shed light on the role of AI in the future and its potential impact on society, business and politics.

Fabian holds a Master’s degree in Strategic and International Management from the University of St. Gallen and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Münster.

Fabian Peltsch

Fabian Peltsch is a German journalist and China expert. He has lived in China for several years and has reported on Chinese pop culture, the digital economy, and geopolitics for media outlets such as Die Welt, Rolling Stone, and Arte. Since 2022, he has been an editor at China.Table, Germany's largest specialist newsroom focused on China. He lives and works in Berlin.