Xiaomi the money: can the Chinese tech giant go global?

小米能否征服全球

Drum Tower

2025-09-30

31 分钟
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单集简介 ...

From churning out copycat iPhones to developing its own EVs, Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has come a long way in the last 15 years. But can the brand's charismatic CEO, Lei Jun, use his star power and significant capital to turn Xiaomi into a household name overseas?  Hosts: The Economist's Sarah Wu and Don Weinland. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.  For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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单集文稿 ...

  • The economist.

  • This probably makes no sense if you're listening from outside China.

  • But here, it's pretty iconic.

  • It's Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, whose awkward English at a product launch a decade ago was remixed into a meme.

  • A meme that's since been watched over 50 million times on BiliBili, China's YouTube.

  • Back then, Lei was just another ambitious tech founder with a small but loyal following.

  • Today, he's something closer to a rock star.

  • And Xiaomi is no longer just a scrappy startup.

  • From its origins making copycat smartphones,

  • it now sells everything from air conditioners to massage guns and even electric cars to an army of super fans.

  • I'm Sarah Wu, The Economist China correspondent in Beijing.

  • And this week, I'm joined by Don Weinland, our China Business and Finance editor in Shanghai to ask,

  • how did Xiaomi become one of China's biggest brands?

  • And can it take its success global?

  • This is Drum Tower from The Economist.

  • Hey, Sarah.

  • Hi, Don.

  • As I was setting up to record today, I was looking around my house and I realized just how many Xiaomi products I have.

  • You want to show me your your Xiaomi products?

  • Okay, let's see.