Take artificial intelligence (AI). While American tech giants stumbled over DeepSeek’s breakthrough in large language models, triggering what some called the “DeepSeek Shock”, astute investors recognised something more significant: China’s emergence as a genuine AI competitor, achieved at a fraction of Western development costs.
The markets rarely offer gifts, but May 12’s surprise US-China trade agreement felt close to one. When Washington and Beijing announced a 90-day tariff suspension, reducing levies from crushing 145% to a more manageable 30%, investors stampeded back into Chinese equities with the enthusiasm of bargain hunters at a flash sale.
Yet as the initial euphoria settles, a more complex picture emerges. Having spent more than 15 years analysing Asian markets, I’ve learned that the most profitable opportunities often hide in plain sight. They are not in the obvious plays everyone rushes toward, but in the nuanced stories that require deeper analysis.
