podcasts
After DeepSeek
For years, the world has dismissed China's tech ambitions with many believing the industry had hit a glass ceiling. Then came the launch of Chinese AI company DeepSeek’s first ultra-efficient reasoning model in January 2025. The debut did more than just rattle Silicon Valley. It exposed the limitations of Western strategies to contain the sector and may have been a catalyst for a new wave of self-sufficient innovation in China.
In this three-part series, Post tech desk journalists take you inside the After DeepSeek era. They discuss why old assumptions about China's technological prowess no longer apply, and what recent changes mean for the nation’s tech talent pool, the global AI race and China's tech-first future.
23 Jan 2026
The first episode of the After DeepSeek podcast series explores how human capital is fuelling China’s rise as a global AI leader. Post senior tech reporter Coco Feng hosts this examination of China’s transition from being viewed as a “copycat” to a leader in original innovation, punctuated by the global impact of DeepSeek’s R-1 model. This episode features discussions with entrepreneur Zheng Zeyu, author Mehran Gul and academic Dr David Zweig.
The first episode of the After DeepSeek podcast series explores how human capital is fuelling China’s rise as a global AI leader. Post senior tech reporter Coco Feng hosts this examination of China’s transition from being viewed as a “copycat” to a leader in original innovation, punctuated by the global impact of DeepSeek’s R-1 model. This episode features discussions with entrepreneur Zheng Zeyu, author Mehran Gul and academic Dr David Zweig.
22:13
23 Jan 2026
The second episode of the After DeepSeek podcast series explores China’s AI landscape following the landmark release of DeepSeek-R1. Post tech editor Zhou Xin hosts this exploration of China’s “Sputnik moment” and its pivot towards indigenous innovation and self-reliance in the face of US chip export controls. Experts Dr Kyle Chan and Professor Hongxia Yang highlight a fundamental strategic divergence between the US and Chinese AI road maps.
The second episode of the After DeepSeek podcast series explores China’s AI landscape following the landmark release of DeepSeek-R1. Post tech editor Zhou Xin hosts this exploration of China’s “Sputnik moment” and its pivot towards indigenous innovation and self-reliance in the face of US chip export controls. Experts Dr Kyle Chan and Professor Hongxia Yang highlight a fundamental strategic divergence between the US and Chinese AI road maps.
27:50
23 Jan 2026
The final episode of the After DeepSeek podcast series examines the shifting landscape of China’s AI industry following the 2025 launch of DeepSeek-R1. Hosted by Post tech reporter Xinmei Shen, the episode features analysts Tilly Zhang and Rui Ma. They discuss how China is innovating around hardware constraints by prioritising cost-effectiveness and efficiency over brute-force power. The episode also explores how the US and China are pursuing fundamentally different goals, leading to a bifurcation of global tech standards and supply chains.
The final episode of the After DeepSeek podcast series examines the shifting landscape of China’s AI industry following the 2025 launch of DeepSeek-R1. Hosted by Post tech reporter Xinmei Shen, the episode features analysts Tilly Zhang and Rui Ma. They discuss how China is innovating around hardware constraints by prioritising cost-effectiveness and efficiency over brute-force power. The episode also explores how the US and China are pursuing fundamentally different goals, leading to a bifurcation of global tech standards and supply chains.
25:47
