Xu Li is a fan of Yang Guo, the protagonist of bestselling Chinese novel The Return of the Condor Heroes, famed for lobbing a stone at a Mongol Khan, slaying the leader and halting an invasion from the country’s northern enemy.

But the 40-year-old co-founder and chief executive of the Chinese artificial intelligence group SenseTime says he is inspired by Yang’s subtler powers of persuasion over followers and enemies alike.

Even as Xu seeks to emulate those diplomatic skills, he has failed to convince the US government to take a favourable view of his company. Days before SenseTime was due to go public in Hong Kong, Washington placed it on an investment blacklist, accusing it of enabling human rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs in the western Xinjiang province. The company denied the claims.