China | The Chinese tech scene

Xi Jinping is trying to love-bomb China’s entrepreneurs

It will take a lot more to win back their broken hearts 

An image of a unicorn that gradually fades away into spots
Illustration: Carl Godfrey

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, worries about “black swans” (unexpected crises) and “grey rhinos” (big problems that are ignored). Recently he has been fretting about vanishing unicorns, too. In May he asked a group of bosses to explain why fewer Chinese startups were turning into these beasts: privately held startups with a valuation of a billion dollars or more. In June the State Council, China’s cabinet, acknowledged that investors were fearful of putting money into risky new ventures and that it was difficult to cash out.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Love-bombing entrepreneurs”

From the July 20th 2024 edition

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