James Kynge

James Kynge is a multi-award-winning journalist, author, and China Strategy Fellow. Over a 28-year career at the Financial Times, he served in pivotal roles including Beijing Bureau Chief, Emerging Markets Editor, and Global China Editor, reporting on China's rapid economic takeoff and its expanding geopolitical heft. He spent nearly 20 years living in China, speaks fluent Mandarin, and previously led Pearson Group’s media, publishing, and education businesses in the country between 2006 and 2008. His seminal 2006 book, China Shakes the World, was an award-winning international bestseller translated into 19 languages.

China’s ascent to superpower status in technology is one of the most consequential trends in the world today. Building on his deep background, Kynge explores this theme in his new audiobook, Global Tech Wars: China’s Race to Dominate, published by Pushkin Industries and the Financial Times. To research the project, he travelled across the US, China, Taiwan, Germany, the Netherlands, Nigeria, and other nations to interview the winners and losers behind this world-shaping dynamic.

The insights from this research form the basis for his captivating, up-to-the-minute presentations on China’s technological rise. A central focus of his recent work is addressing whether groundbreaking developments, such as the DeepSeek phenomenon, signal a broader, long-term Chinese lead across artificial intelligence, robotics, and hardware.

As an engaging speaker and moderator, James masterfully conveys the sweeping shifts across technology, geopolitics, economics, and trade, enlivening his deliveries with first-hand stories about the movers, shakers, and industry leaders he has met throughout his career.