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HE: Yes. Xi Jinping has aspirations to be the number one coun-
try in the world in technology. So, China right now manufac-
tures 90% of the world’s mobile phones, 80% of the world’s
computers, 28% of the world’s automobiles and lots of other
things, household things, like 80% of the world’s air condi-
tioners, and they provide 50% of the world’s steel. So, I mean,
they’re a powerhouse. We knew it when we started the China
Investment Group 15 years ago. We knew it. I’ve known sever-
al of the Premiers of China—Zhu Rongji, Zhao Ziyang. I’ve
worked with a lot of high-level people in China, so we know
about their ambitions.

AMM: Are there any particular industries that you think are
“ones to watch” as likely targets for innovation by Chinese com-
Harry Edelson with Zhu Rongji, former Premier of China.
panies?
HE: Well, I think they’re getting leadership positions in business
AMM: What led you to establish the China Investment Group? like drones, 3D manufacturing. They are getting into these new
HE: I didn’t establish it by myself. We had, I would say, four in- businesses, payment systems, way ahead of us. Everyone out
vesting-types. And we used to meet and discuss China because there pays with their cell phone.
we recognized way back, 15 years ago, that China was going
to be big. Eventually it will reach its potential. So, we met in
a one-room conference room, four of us around a little round During the interview, Mr. Edelson shared some of his outlook on life: “I’m
table, and we would discuss what’s going on in China. And we happy every day. I’ve never had a headache. I’ve never had the flu. I’ve never
did that for about six months. And then we started inviting a had jet lag. I’m doing something right. Always keeping my brain functioning
speaker in to meet with us and our little group of four expand- at a high level at all times. Life is fun. So that’s what I’d recommend for
ed to six or seven. And we started bringing in a speaker that everybody.” You can read more about Mr. Edelson and his approach to
people would be interested in chatting with, and that person living well in his book, Positivity: How To Be Happier, Healthier,
was an expert on some aspect of China. We [now] have about Smarter and More Prosperous.
40 members. Half of them are not in the United States, they’re
in China [and] in the Arab world, a lot of our members are
American but speak Chinese. So, we have an eclectic group of
not only investors but people in the art world and people who
are economists and well-known people at various banks.
AMM: Are there any practices or philosophies that you have
employed over your years of doing business with China that
you would recommend for investors and companies looking to
do business there?
HE: Well, I’m working with people in China all the time. I just
had a long WeChat call with someone who’s very knowledge-
able in China, and I spent an hour on WeChat with them going
over some deals that we could work on together. So, the thing to
do in China is to go out and give speeches for them. I give lots
of speeches in China, [I was] asked to give one now in Xi’an,
where the Terracotta Soldiers are, and just gave one in Shang-
hai. They had a technology conference in Shanghai, they called
it “T-Edge,” like “Technology Edge.” There were 2000 people
in the auditorium. There were many prominent speakers. I was
a keynote speaker in that conference, a three-day conference
telecast to 250,000 Chinese. So, when they have a conference,
it’s a big conference, bigger than what you have in the US, and
the speakers are giving China information.

AMM: The Chinese government has lately been working to
change China’s primary economic role from manufacturing to
innovation, to take the role and title of “Asia’s Silicon Valley.”
They have famously expressed their intent to accomplish this
goal by the year 2025. What do you think their main motivation
for this is? Harry Edelson and Michael Reiss

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