YCW NY | Decoding Careers at the China x Tech Intersection

The US-China relationship is in flux, and so is the market demand for China skills and expertise. Emergent new employment sectors include AI research & tech policy. As one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, and a field competing with China for both talent and breakthroughs, the tech sector offers opportunities for talented candidates who can combine technical expertise with the ability to interpret what China is doing. A 2025 US Chamber of Commerce report found that “references to geopolitical risk in Fortune 250 financial disclosures have more than doubled since 2019, with a fourfold increase since 2009.” The largest increase has been in tech companies. How does China knowledge and expertise translate into these emerging sectors?

We've asked three panelists to discuss career opportunities at the intersection of China and technology, and how to better preparing the China community in New York to adapt to market shifts.

If you are a student with an active .edu email address, email us at newyork@youngchinawatchers for a free ticket code.

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Meet Our Panelists

• Chenni Xu is the Corporate Comms lead for Nubank as well as Vice Chair and a Board Member for NüVoices – an international editorial collective that gathers veteran and emerging writers, journalists, translators, and artists to celebrate and support the diverse, creative work of self-identified women working on the subject of China. Previously, she worked as Head of Corporate Communications for Ant Group Americas.
• Jordan Schneider is ChinaTalk’s founder and editor-in-chief. He previously worked for the Rhodium Group and Bridgewater. Jordan received a master’s degree in economics from Peking University’s Yenching Academy and a BA in history from Yale. His research has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Wired, and Lawfare.
• Selina Xu is a writer and researcher based in New York, with a focus on China and tech. She currently leads China and AI policy research in the Office of Eric Schmidt. She was previously a journalist at Bloomberg News, covering everything from electric cars and Covid to livestreaming and cityscapes. Her recent pieces can be found in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, etc.

Moderator:

• Savannah Billman, founder of Career China Newsletter, a free jobs board for China-related jobs and careers. She is a Staff Writer at the Wire China and previously worked at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. She studied Chinese history at NYU Shanghai and the Yenching Academy at Peking University and has worked broadly across communications, social media, U.S.-China relations, and journalism fields.

The event will consist of a moderated panel, followed by conversation and networking, and will cover:

• The role of technological competition in US-China relations
• How to navigate the securitization of China careers
• What skills are most in-demand for a career in China-related tech
• Transitioning or building a pathway into these fields
• Advice and recommendations
• Audience questions

The event will operate under Chatham House Rule and panelists’ remarks will not be recorded.

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Why are we charging?

YCW is a volunteer-run initiative depending on the grace of the venues we work with to host our events. Our free events have had completely wild attrition rates ranging from 30% to nearly 80% no shows. This makes it extremely hard for us to both give venues the heads up as to how much space we need, and to know how many volunteers we need to staff them.

We DON'T want to earn money from you, and so the ticket will get you something commensurate in value (in this case, drinks & snacks). But we would like to nudge you to come if you sign up.