China missed the World Cup. Its brands didn’t

Inside a sprawling broadcast hub in Dallas, thousands of devices supplied by Lenovo are helping Fifa manage and distribute content from stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico, forming part of the technological backbone of the largest World Cup ever staged.The central role played by the Chinese-founded technology company highlights a reality often obscured by geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing: while US policymakers have increasingly scrutinised Chinese technology firms and sought to reduce security risks in strategically sensitive sectors, Chinese companies remain deeply embedded in global commercial ecosystems, including one of the highest-profile international events ever hosted in North America.China’s men’s national team once again failed to qualify for the World Cup, having reached the tournament only once, in 2002.