Xi Is All In on AI. Can China’s Economy Fund That?

By Terri Wu
Terri Wu
Terri Wu
Terri Wu is a Washington-based freelance reporter for The Epoch Times covering education and China-related issues. Send tips to terri.wu@epochtimes.com.
July 21, 2026Updated: July 21, 2026

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is all in with his gamble on artificial intelligence. AI will have to perform magic by pulling China’s economy out of its current downward spiral and helping Beijing overtake Washington’s global primacy.

Xi is directing domestic capital to AI. At the same time, Beijing is trying to “tell the China story well” by attracting foreign investments.

That requires a convincing story explaining why China’s economic problems are cyclical rather than structural. In other words, temporary, not permanent.

Terri Wu discusses the official economic data of the first half of this year and prepares listeners for Chinese propaganda points that will make their way to the West.

Views expressed in this episode are opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Terri Wu is a Washington-based freelance reporter for The Epoch Times covering education and China-related issues. Send tips to terri.wu@epochtimes.com.

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