The lecture will be held by Yen-Chi Lu and is the last in the series "Infrastructure, Capitalism, and Dependency in the Digital Age".

The rise of Chinese high-tech companies such as Huawei, Alibaba, and DeepSeek has sparked concerns about China’s global influence, particularly in the Global South. Are we witnessing a new era of "data imperialism" established by China? While this perspective captures the destructive effects of dependency, it often overlooks the agency of these countries vis-à-vis China, the complex realities of Chinese engagement on the ground, and the transformative power of digital platforms. The lecture addresses this gap by empirically and conceptually deepening our understanding of dependency in the digital age. Through case studies of Malaysia and Ethiopia, this talk will explore the limitations of China's digital power and illuminate the strategic pathway of digital development that is emerging for countries in the Global South.