China Myth Podcast

UPDATE The Chinese Honeymoon Period & US-China Relations in 2026 | Why I Deleted My AI Clone

Gene Hsu

I almost filmed this video using an AI digital twin.

It was efficient. Scalable. Technically impressive.

But in a world where trust is at an all-time low—and real human connection has quietly disappeared—I realized something uncomfortable:

Authenticity is now the only currency that matters.

In this video, I explain why I deleted my AI clone and introduce the newly updated 2026 edition of The Chinese Honeymoon Period.

When the original book was written, the world still believed in engagement, exchange, and cautious optimism.

That world is gone.

The U.S. and China have shifted from frenemies to perceived existential threats.
“Decoupling” has metastasized into reality.

An AI arms race is accelerating distrust while hollowing out human-to-human understanding.
This video reflects on what all of that means—for professionals, parents, students, and anyone living between cultures.

In this update, I explore:

• Why I chose “real” over “perfect” for this channel—and what AI gets wrong about trust
• The 2026 reality of US–China relations after the honeymoon is long dead
• Why language fluency alone no longer works without cultural intelligence and empathy
• New reflections shaped by leaving China and raising a next-generation American-Born Chinese (ABC)

If the original book was about recognizing when the honeymoon ends, this edition asks a harder question:

What happens after we wake up?

If you work, live, study, or raise children across cultures—and feel the growing tension but still believe understanding matters—My latest book, Speak Less, Guanxi More takes your awareness into practice—where outcomes are actually shaped.

Learn when not to speak, how to read what’s happening beneath the surface, and why fewer assumptions lead to far better results.

https://genejhsu.com/

#USChinaRelations #CulturalIntelligence #MandarinChinese #Chineseculture #Chinabusiness