Semafor · 2026
“Singapore-washing is supposed to be an intentional, operational-level strategy, which a lot of companies have done.”Singapore-washing isn’t over. Manus may have just done it wrong.
Press
In the press
Grace’s analysis of AI and technology is cited by Bloomberg, Fortune, The Atlantic, TIME, BBC, and more. For interviews and comment, email [email protected].
What peers say
Endorsements
“One of the sharpest analysts of China’s AI and tech sector out there.”
“One of the sharpest analysts tracking China’s evolving tech landscape.”
“She’s a bit of an insider when it comes to China’s AI industry.”
“A leading analyst on China’s AI efforts and, of course, a friend of the program.”
“The best piece I’ve read to date on the Chinese data economy, and how it compares to the US counterparts”
Interviews
Podcasts, radio, and video
Featured · Bloomberg Odd LotsGrace Shao on What the World Should Know About Chinese AIJoe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway on open-source models, China’s frontier labs, DeepSeek, and where the real bottlenecks are. Listen · 2026Bloomberg TVPreviewing WAIC 2026 with David Ingles and Avril HongWhat to expect from China’s World AI Conference in Shanghai, and what Grace was watching.Listen or watch · 2026 High Capacity · Kyle Chan, BrookingsChina’s top AI players and their differing AI strategiesAgentic AI, ByteDance’s Doubao, China’s AI tigers, and Singapore as a geopolitical gateway.Listen or watch · 2026 Big Technology PodcastHow China Caught U.S. AI — With Grace ShaoA second conversation with Alex Kantrowitz on talent, compute-constrained specialization, open-source R&D, and Kimi K3.Listen or watch · 2026 BBC Radio 4 · The Artificial HumanIs China getting AI right?With the world’s two AI superpowers taking radically different approaches, Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong ask whose ideology will win.Listen or watch NüVoices PodcastEpisode 123: China’s AI boom and the US–China raceWith Tiffany Ap on how China and the US deploy AI differently, domestic AI talent, and robotics.Listen or watch · 2025 Big Technology PodcastWhy China’s AI Strategy Just Might Work — With Grace ShaoWith Alex Kantrowitz on DeepSeek, open source, productization, robotics, AI agents, and chip shortages.Listen or watch · 2025 Context · Thomson Reuters FoundationCan my ‘grief bot’ replace me after I die?Interviewed on the rise of companion bots and consumer AI in East Asia.Listen or watch
Quoted in
In Grace’s own words
Fortune · 2025
“Globally, AI labs are feeling the heat as open-source models are increasingly recognized for their role in democratizing AI development.”OpenAI’s open-source pivot shows how U.S. tech is trying to catch up to China’s AI boom
AFP
“Any delusion of full decoupling isn’t realistic on any near-term horizon.”AI rivalry overshadows push for guardrails at Xi-Trump talks
TIME · 2025
“Before, Chinese were happy to copy others just so they wouldn’t go hungry. … Now they seek a sense of mission.”The Shift East: How China’s EV Boom Powers Its Tech Rise
The Wire China · 2025
“You can’t just call a winner at this stage.”Rough Times at SenseTime: China’s former AI giant has faded out of the picture. Can it make a comeback?
AFP · 2025
“There just shouldn’t be a definitive conclusion on who is ‘winning’ yet.”‘Marathon at F1 speed’: China bids to lap US in AI leadership
Fortune · 2025
“It has the strength of being far away from Beijing to avoid all kinds of bureaucratic procedures; the benefit of being so close to Shanghai to access international capital and talent; and an extremely strong talent pool.”How DeepSeek erased Silicon Valley’s AI lead and wiped $1 trillion from U.S. markets
South China Morning Post · 2025
“Before DeepSeek’s R1, many [Chinese AI start-ups] were starting to pivot and focus on consumer-facing applications, driven by the same monetisation strategy in the mobile internet era.”Open-source models and fresh funding: China’s AI start-ups scramble to respond to DeepSeek
Rest of World · 2025
“Chinese EV market leaders have all their ducks in a row, and now DeepSeek is accessible to them.”China’s AI frenzy: DeepSeek is already everywhere — cars, phones, even hospitals
Fortune
“ByteDance’s strength isn’t in traditional text LLMs; it’s their image and visual stuff.”China’s ByteDance could be forced to sell TikTok U.S., but its quiet lead in AI will help it survive — and maybe even thrive
Cited in
- Bloomberg
- Fortune
- The Atlantic
- TIME
- BBC
- Reuters
- AFP
- South China Morning Post
- Rest of World
- Semafor
- The Wire China
Bylines in
- Bloomberg
- Fortune
- The Diplomat
- Economist Intelligence Unit
- CNBC
- South China Morning Post
- S&P Global Market Intelligence
- Yahoo Finance
- USA Today
- FT Chinese