A French-Moroccan mathematician was among a group of researchers Chinese President Xi Jinping met during a tour of an AI start-up hub in Shanghai on Tuesday in an apparent show of support for foreign entrepreneurs in the country.
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Hamza Boukili, an entrepreneur and maths teacher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), was among those on hand for Xi’s trip to the SMC Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Centre, according to the Shanghai-based Shangguan Observer.
The centre is one of China’s first incubators and accelerators for large-scale artificial intelligence models, and the visit was Xi’s first inspection trip since the revival of the US-China tariff war this year.
According to the report, Boukili started working at SJTU in 2020 and became a permanent resident of China this year.
Permanent residency is a highly selective process and, according to the Shanghai government, applicants must either be employed by a designated science and technology innovation company, or have had an annual salary of at least six times the annual urban employee average. Alternatively, they can qualify if they are core members of research teams.
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The report also said Boukili had a company that used AI to conserve energy and reduce emissions.
“I can clearly feel that everyone is highly supportive of entrepreneurship. The results we’ve achieved are of great value to individuals, the university where I work, and even the entire region,” the report quoted him as saying. “When the environment is that good, why not jump into it?”