A state-owned AI company has appointed a former IBM China executive as its chief technology officer (CTO), reflecting a growing trend of Chinese firms attracting talent as multinational corporations scale back operations in the country.
Beijing Electronic Digital and Intelligence (BEDI), which provides computing power and cloud infrastructure for AI applications, announced that Xie Dong, a seasoned technology management expert from IBM China, will join as CTO.
Xie previously held roles including CTO at IBM Greater China Group, vice president at IBM China Systems Lab, and director of the IBM China Research Lab. A graduate of Tsinghua University, he spent nearly 30 years with IBM.
The appointment comes as foreign firms are scaling back operations in China owing to escalating geopolitical tensions. IBM has significantly cut back its research and development operations in China, joining a long list of global Big Tech firms that have trimmed their mainland businesses. In August last year, Chinese media reported that IBM was closing its China Development Lab and China Systems Lab, laying off over 1,000 employees in cities including Beijing, Shanghai and the northern port city Dalian.
Xie was a key talent in IBM’s semiconductor operations in China, building it from scratch and promoting its “end-to-end development” in China, according to mainland media outlet Jiemian.
Xie said in a statement that he decided to join BEDI, which is controlled by Beijing Electronics Holding, as the company was deeply involved in generative AI technology in China.
In his new role, Xie will help BEDI optimise AI models’ predictive capabilities and ensure its AI solutions are more cost-effective. BEDI plays an important role in the Chinese capital city’s computing infrastructure, as one of its projects is the Beijing Digital Economy Computing Power Centre.
Xie’s appointment is part of a broader trend in China’s tech industry, where local companies are hiring experienced executives from global tech giants to enhance their local expertise. Earlier this week, Hua Hong Semiconductor, the country’s second-largest chip foundry, named former Intel executive Bai Peng as its new president.