Newsweek Runs Excerpt New Tech Titans of China
Newsweek excerpt: For years, many in Washington and Silicon Valley believed the United States led in artificial intelligence, while China focused mainly on putting the technology to use rather than shaping its cutting edge.
In her new book, The New Tech Titans of China, technology journalist Rebecca A. Fannin argues that this assumption no longer holds. The book tracks the rise of a new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs building competitive companies across AI, electric vehicles, robotics and advanced manufacturing—often outside the country’s best‑known tech giants. This adapted excerpt looks at the sudden emergence of DeepSeek, a startup whose rapid progress in 2025 forced U.S. executives and investors to rethink where AI innovation is coming from and how quickly the balance is shifting.