Alice Han and James Kynge break down Xi Jinping's pitch at the World AI Conference in Shanghai: free, open-source Chinese AI models for developing nations shut out by expensive U.S. systems. They dig into WAICO, the new 29-member intergovernmental AI organization China just launched, how it echoes (and diverges from) the Belt and Road and Digital Silk Road playbooks, and whether China's open-source generosity can actually last. Then: mathematicians Yu Deng and Hong Wang just became the first two Chinese nationals to win a Fields Medal in the same year — only the second and third Chinese nationals ever to win math's highest honor. Alice and James discuss why it's being celebrated as a milestone for Chinese science, and what it says about talent flow between China and the West. Plus: Amy Lyons — known online as @BlondieinChina — joins to talk about a decade of covering Chinese food and culture, what most people get wrong about Chinese cuisine outside Beijing and Shanghai, and how the creator economy is reshaping global perceptions of China. Subscribe to China Decode on Substack for weekly analysis, livestreams, and deep dives into the biggest story shaping the global economy: chinadecode.profgmedia.com 00:55 Vitals 01:25 China aims for more AI diplomacy around the world 20:46 Chinese mathematicians win a prestigious international award 33:25 Conversation with Amy Lyons 50:10 Predictions