On May 21–22, 2025, the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) participated in the 16th Asian Leadership Conference (ALC) in Seoul, South Korea, hosting three expert-led sessions that examined China’s innovation trajectory and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence.
This year’s ALC, held under the theme “The Rise of Nations: Pathways to Great Prosperity,” convened over 2,000 global leaders, policy makers, scholars, and business executives to discuss national development strategies, emerging technologies, and global cooperation in an era of shifting power dynamics.
CKGSB’s sessions featured insights from Founding Dean Xiang Bing, Professor Li Yang, and distinguished alumni Tobee Wu (Chairman, Wondershare) and Weizhong Chen (Senior specialist at Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group & Alibaba Cloud training Center), highlighting China’s evolving role in the global innovation landscape.
China’s Innovation and Its Potential Global Implications
In the first session, Dean Xiang Bing offered a wide-ranging analysis of China’s innovation landscape and its global significance. He argued that China’s path to modernization is increasingly driven by a vibrant entrepreneurial sector and a government eager to support technological breakthroughs.
“I am confident that startups, which the Chinese government is paying close attention to, will become the next engine of innovation,” Dean Xiang stated. “Although many have initially grown through ‘copycat’ strategies, over time we will see truly original innovators emerge from China—just as companies like Google and Facebook (now Meta) once did in the United States.”
He also emphasized the importance of inclusive globalization and mutual understanding in navigating the world’s increasingly complex challenges.
Marketing in the AI Era: Perspectives from China
Professor Li Yang examined how AI is reshaping marketing strategies in China, particularly through hyper-personalization, consumer data analysis, and real-time brand engagement. He emphasized the responsibility of businesses to use AI ethically and transparently.
Leveraging AI for a Win-Win Future – Practices from Wondershare and Alibaba
In a joint session, CKGSB alumni Tobee Wu and Weizhong Chen explored how their companies are applying AI in practical and scalable ways. Wu presented Wondershare’s use of generative AI to enhance creativity and product development, while Chen outlined Alibaba’s integration of AI in retail operations, logistics, and customer engagement.
Speaking on broader corporate culture among Chinese tech giants, Weizhong Chen offered a comparative perspective:
“One thing successful Chinese company like Alibaba, Huawei, and Tencent have in common is that they put customers first and care deeply about their employees,” Chen noted. “Of course, each company has its own approach. Huawei leans heavily on material incentives, while Alibaba puts equal emphasis on monetary support and helping employees find personal and social meaning in their work. Tencent, which started as a gaming company, has a humble corporate culture and a strong appetite for learning. When DeepSeek emerged, I heard Tencent teams were seriously asking themselves why they hadn’t built something like that first.”
Both emphasized collaboration between large platforms and innovative firms as key to sustainable growth.
CKGSB’s active collaboration at this year’s ALC reaffirms its mission to shape global business thinking and contribute to constructive international dialogue on technology, innovation, and leadership.
