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China vs U.S. in an 'Internet Race'
avatar4d writes to mention an article on CIO about a new 'space race' on the internet between China and the U.S.. China is currently hard at work at what is being called the 'Chinese Next Generation Internet' (CNGI). With plans to unveil the project at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the network is part of a plan to leap ahead of the United States in innovation and technology. From the article: "The strategy, outlined in China's latest five-year plan, calls for the country to transition its economy from one based almost entirely on manufacturing to one that produces its own scientific and technological breakthroughs — using a new and improved version of today's dominant innovation platform, the Internet. 'CNGI is the culmination of this revolutionary plan' to turn China into the world's innovation capital, says Wu Hequan, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the chairman of the CNGI Expert Committee, the group overseeing the project. 'We will use it as a way to break through and be competitive in the global economic market.'"
It's not resistance, just a lack of interest. Not enough people will care until after we run out of IP addresses and conflicts occur. Society tends to not be very proactive unless the drive comes from authority.
Developers: We can use your help.
And while your shuttle fleet was grounded, they launched two manned spacecraft in orbit.
...
Yeah, with a copy (they have blueprints) of a Russian Soyuz capsule. They didn't innovate, they copied. Welcome to the space race, 40 years late
And while your country is spending gazillions on invading Iraq and others, they improve their economy with 10 percent each year.
Since when? And for how long? I'm skeptical of the figure but I will tell you this, rises are followed by falls. And if you think the american economy is crappy... well you don't live here and you have no idea. I can't complain... gas is cheap again and I take home more than it costs me to live... but irradiated seeds? Any first-year biology student will tell you what happens with irradiated seeds.
A good run for their money? American automakers are all perilously close to bankruptcy, struggling with pensions and high healthcare costs. Toyota and Honda are healthier than ever with growing marketshares. Toyota will become the largest automaker in the world by marketshare within the next year. I'd say the Japanese have given US automakers a bit more than just a run for their money.
And while your shuttle fleet was grounded, they launched two manned spacecraft in orbit.
good for china, now they're only 50 years behind the US and Russia.
And while your country is spending gazillions on invading Iraq and others, they improve their economy with 10 percent each year.
gazillions?...making up words somehow makes these into facts? The US still has an economy FIVE times the size of China and is still nearly 30% of the world's economy.
The whole world knows that China is the real innovator and the next world superpower, when will Americans realize this ?
just because you say doesn't make it true. modern china has yet to be anything but a cheap source of labor for the western world. it's "innovations" are nothing more than chinese versions of something that has existed elsewhere for decades. China has a "me too" mentality of an annoying little brother. Everything the US has done, they want to do it too, that is not innovation.....
If I sound like the prototypical ugly american then we're even because you sound like the prototypical anti-american.
...this is really what occurred? That the seeds were the only cargo, that it wasn't a cover for some other sort of mission?
wheels within enigmas here....maybe....
Speaking of launches, they just introduced a new class of road mobile, fairly accurate ICBMs, the DF-31, that can be fitted with a large single or three MIRV type warheads.
You get them from elsewhere (Europe, etc) .
That only works if you can entice those people to move there somehow. It was easy for the US to entice Europeans to come work here: at the time, it was the aftermath of WWII, and while Europe was devastated, the US was completely unharmed (on its own soil) and entering an economic boom. Who wouldn't want to move in those conditions?
These days, things are a little different: China, while improving quickly, is still a third-world country, and has a very oppressive government. The society there would probably be rather uncomfortable for a Westerner to live in. Europe, OTOH, is doing just fine, and the countries there are consistently ranked as having the best standards of living in the world. The US is doing OK too. Unless the Chinese government is offering people ridiculous salaries, I don't see what the attraction would be.
All trade imbalances are equalized by investment capital flowing back the other way. In this case, China is massively investing back in America -- because America is still a good investment. Our desirability as an investment is indicated by the low interest rates that we are required to pay on foreign investment capital. If the world thought that we were a high risk, they would charge us a high interest rate.
They export huge amounts to the US, and get dollars in exchange. With those dollars they can either buy oil, buy something from the US (goods & services or property), or buy something from other countries that need dollars for buying oil. Obviously there is a limit to how much oil they need, and how much oil others need, so they end up buying something from the US. Now they don't really need any goods, as they already manufacture most things themselves (including entertainment through piracy), and the demand for services is somewhat limited as well, so they end up investing in the US. Now, you seem to think this equalizes trade imbalances, but you are forgetting one important detail. When you invest in something, you own the investment, which means that you get the profit from it. You americans are spending your capital, and taken to it's extreme it means that you will no longer own your economy.
Your government has some ways of avoiding this:
- Ensure that oil is traded in dollars. Methods include securing the oil fields and ensuring that oil producing countries stay friendly to US interests. Iraq started accepting euros as payment for oil the year 2000, and after the invasion the puppet government switched back to dollars. Iran is planning a oil bourse where oil is sold in euros, that's the real weapon of mass destruction Bush is afraid of, don't be surprised when some of the bombs meant for nuclear facilities level Kish by "mistake". Expect a coup in Venezuela, or at least an attempted one unless they back down on their attempts to switch OPEC to sell oil in euros.
- Prevent foreigners from investing in the US. The Dubai port deal, and Unocal are good examples. This isn't such a good way as foreigners will realise that they won't be able to spend their dollar holdings, which brings us to the next item.
- Inflation. By printing out huge amounts of dollars the purchasing power of an individual dollar collapses. This way it doesn't matter how much dollars foreigners have, as their dollar stockpiles will melt away. Of course this can't be done overtly, so manipulation of inflation indicators is a must. Hiding the M3 data is also important, can't have foreigners knowing how much dollars there really are. Oh? They're just cutting costs, nothing special about it? Yeah... Saving a couple of million per year by hiding the M3 data will really help balance the budget...
- Default. Pass a law that says all dollars are now worthless paper, and issue a new currency. Tell the rest of the world to get lost, you're not paying these stupid debts, and dare them to try and collect. Obviously the US would not be very liked after that, and it'd be a wonder if anyone ever borrows money to you after that.
- Cut a lot of government programs, and adjust the budget so that you get a sizeable surplus, and start paying off your debts. Political suicide, and I think it'll be a cold day in hell before this happens.
This is a long-term process, so don't get all disappointed when the economy doesn't assplode next year.