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Alibaba Co-founder Says Many Americans 'Want To Stop China' From Upgrading Its Tech (cnbc.com)

With the threat of Trump's ever-looming trade war with China and his administration's sanctions on Chinese companies like ZTE, it's hard to remember a more contentious period between the two countries in recent times. Adding fuel to the conversation, an Alibaba co-founder alleged that many Americans want to stop China from upgrading its technology and from becoming more innovative. From a report: Chinese media outlets have repeatedly asserted that American complaints about the tech sector are really just efforts to slow the country's rise as a global power. "There's nothing wrong with a country wanting to upgrade its own manufacturing sector, go higher tech, be more innovative," Tsai said. "But then, from the Chinese perspective, what we're seeing is there are a lot of people in America that want to stop China from doing that." After three decades of producing low-end manufacturing goods, Tsai said, China recognizes the need to develop better technology, upgrade its manufacturing sector and focus more on value-added areas like robotics, aeronautics and high-tech medical equipment.

7 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. or... by GoTeam · · Score: 5, Interesting

    American companies prefer to not have their IP stolen by foreign companies. Also, don't start with something as silly and foolish as: "it's hard to remember a more contentious period between the two countries in recent times". Really? Is it that hard to remember more contentious countries? Let me get you started: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  2. America's push to stop china's dumping/theft/etc by WindBourne · · Score: 4, Interesting

    China continues to require that nearly all companies that operate in CHina to have 51% chinese ownership (though cars are now exempted, though they will still pay high tariffs). Likewise, the companies will be required to turn over IP to Chinese owners.
    And yet, this is America's fault for a western company wanting to keep their IP, while Chinese companies will sue for theft of their IP.
    Yeah, totally makes sense.

    Now, if Trump would just do his GD job or at least keep a few of his promises esp for dealing with CHina.

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    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  3. Re:Maturity curve [Re:or...] by WindBourne · · Score: 3, Interesting

    THere was a difference. Europe was forcing all other nations/colonies to cater to them with resources.
    America does not do that. In fact, up until now, we have allowed/encouraged manufacturing to go offshore. The idea was to help other nation's get rich to have better 2 way trade. Problem is, when the other nation puts up massive barriers even once they are equals in many aspects.
    That has been insane.

    Of course, Trump's approach with the rest of our western allies is just as insane.

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    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  4. Military vs. commercial shenanigans by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That's mostly military tech. Everyone expects and does military espionage.

    But China plays games on the commercial side. It would be like the US Federal Gov't breaking into Chinese OS companies and giving the trade secrets to Microsoft, or creating red-tape for foreign competitors to MS that MS itself doesn't have.

  5. Re:Well, we sure as hell can't innovate ourselves! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Nice goalpost moving. We're not talking about ethnic origin here, you racist. We're talking about which country creates an environment that innovation can succeed in.

  6. Re:Maturity curve [Re:or...] by Frobnicator · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There is stealing tech like you described, and stealing tech like China is doing it.

    Industrial espionage is basically the acceptable form of doing it. If you can slip someone into the company, sneak up to the golden goose, and get out, that's a corporate success story. Alternatively if you can hire away their workers, or if you can reverse engineer technology, those are also generally acceptable. The goods are still protected by assorted laws, but if you can sneak some information out that's generally accepted.

    China's form is a mandate that every company doing business turns over the golden goose outright. If you want to do business in China you must turn over the technology, and you must pass along ownership to a mandatory Chinese business partner. Many times the mandated business partner takes the IP and makes their own products from it. They aren't adapting it, nor growing from it, nor trying to integrate it into their own. The law requires corporations give up their secrets, then those secrets are directly used against the corporation.

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    //TODO: Think of witty sig statement
  7. Re:Maturity curve [Re:or...] by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Except that's not the full story. Companies that went to China and gave up IP did so because what they were giving up wasn't 1st tier IP, but 2nd or 3rd tier tech. What this meant is that companies were essentially giving up old tech IP. China learned from that and is not trying to create their own 1st tier IP.

    Companies thought they could give up the 2nd or 3rd tier older tech because they thought they could continue to rely on innovation and their 1st tier IP. The issue is that these companies didn't realize that by giving up 2nd and 3rd tier tech, that they were giving up 3rd world market. African countries e.g. did not need 1st tier tech, because it was simply too expensive, so they were glad to be able to get 2nd or 3rd tier tech. China began undercutting companies in these market places.

    As to whether Trump wants China from "upgrading its tech", to a large degree it's true. Trump has already stated that one of the things he wanted is for China to give up it's 2030 plan, which would have China investing heavily in research and tech fields to develop new tech.