Tencent's 'smart city' seen as model for post-coronavirus China

Commenting on smart cities being a part of China's plan to spur growth amidst a global economic downturn, SMU Postdoctoral Research Fellow Xu Chengwei pointed out that the public has less say as smart cities rely on the government's dominant role in urban planning and budgeting. "China's smart city initiatives are not driven primarily by market demand, but by political and technological ambition. Smart cities will continue to be the core of city planning, and tech giants' involvement will continue," he said.