US tech firms cosy up to China despite trade turmoil

Haifeng Wang, chief technology officer of Baidu Inc. speaks during the Baidu Developers Conference in Beijing, on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. A routine keynote address by Baidu's chief Robin Li morphed into a public humiliation when an unidentified man jumped onstage and doused him in water. Photographer: Gilles Sabrie/Bloomberg

In a packed ballroom in Beijing’s national convention centre, the executive from a major technology company laid out ambitious plans for the future of artificial intelligence in China. He explained how customised semiconductors would help power everything from autonomous cars to voice-activated industrial machines. 

Only this wasn’t a state-backed enterprise. This was Intel Corp, the largest US chipmaker.