I think this article paints a picture that somehow China is incapable of making semiconductor technology, whereas I think the main problem is that they just focused a bit too much on new technology (internet and software) as opposed to older stuff like processors. That's understandable when you consider that it would be grossly inefficient to reinvent the wheel.
Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
51–60 of 127 posts
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
Linux Kernel vs Windows NT kernel
In what sense did the Linux kernel "win"? Microsoft continues to make a lot of money from Windows Server. Nobody but Red Hat makes any money off the Linux kernel.
> Nobody but Red Hat makes any money off the Linux kernel
Only if you define making money as directly selling... A big point of free software is that it is the user who makes the money !
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#53While there couldn't be a better case than ZTE for the Chinese government to muster domestic support for its "Made in China 2025" policy, the Sputnik analogy is actually wrong for China. Sputnik was a national security matter and ZTE is a case about commerce. China can actually supply most what ZTE needs to build functional telecom products (for example when the Obama administration cut off Intel sales to Chinese sup…
> Sputnik was a national security matter and ZTE is a case about commerce.
China views not having full control of semiconductors and operating systems (desktop and smartphone) as a national security matter.
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Linux Kernel vs Windows NT kernel
In what sense did the Linux kernel "win"? Microsoft continues to make a lot of money from Windows Server. Nobody but Red Hat makes any money off the Linux kernel.
Nobody makes money on Linux by selling it as a stand-alone product, obviously. Even RedHat sells support, not software. But Linux makes some of the world's most successful companies possible in the first place: Imagine either of the FANGs if they had to pay Microsoft a license on every server.
I'd say that's a win. (But agree that Linux hasn't necessarily won over Windows in any general sense).
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#55While there couldn't be a better case than ZTE for the Chinese government to muster domestic support for its "Made in China 2025" policy, the Sputnik analogy is actually wrong for China. Sputnik was a national security matter and ZTE is a case about commerce. China can actually supply most what ZTE needs to build functional telecom products (for example when the Obama administration cut off Intel sales to Chinese sup…
It is possible for China to catch up here relatively fast. I give it 3 years and China will likely be better than Qualcomm although the maybe not Apple.
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree this policy is likely folly and that China showed its cards far too early, but I also believe that the Western policy of hoping that welcoming in China would lead to greater democratic freedoms was one of arrogance. The current landscape of trade deals and international law is clearly Western focused and to believe that other cultures are simply going to happily go along with that logic in the long run seems…
> but I also believe that the Western policy of hoping that welcoming in China would lead to greater democratic freedoms was one of arrogance. I'd probably go with 'naivety' or 'over-optimism' rather than arrogance.
I guess it depends on whether one thinks that democracy and freedom are good things as such. They are not necessarily universal values, even if many in the West tend to think so.
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
Western democracy has always been tempered (and sometimes subverted) by the control exerted by cultural elites on mass communications. Now that control is faltering, and we're seeing the results.
Quite the opposite. Instead, the floodgates have been opened to anyone, like the Russian government, with free access to powerful media platforms if you have the capital. Prior to that the mass media was in the hands of only a few, all based in the US. Control of the masses has been API'd. Basically, China should have bought more Facebook ads.
Looks like you both argue for the same thing.
In times before, news distribution was subject to editorial process and basic standards of journalism. Not that it wasn't without own issues, but it helped sort out outright lunacy, bigotry and conspiracy theories.
Distribution in 2010s bypasses that and mass media are now secondary to social network rumour mills. The political outcomes worldwide and deterioration of Western democracies are related to this.
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
Idk I think US has bigger problems than whether it's semiconductor tech gets stolen. Social media and the news media have created such a dysfunctional environment that I am finding it increasingly hard to believe constructive debate/solutions on anything are possible until the underlying environment producing the dysfunction is cleaned up. If not we are just going to get more and more leaders from both sides propped…
> If not we are just going to get more and more leaders from both sides propped up purely for skills to pander. While I share some of your concerns about the media, isn't this (just an uncharitable way of stating) the entire purpose of democracy?
Democracy assumes constructive attitude towards debate.
Today we are getting it's better to be wrong with our side, than right with the opponent partisanship instead.
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#59I'm surprised nothing has been said about Huawei's HiSilicon Kirin ARM chips. Their latest mobile chips are definitely on par with the best on the market.
Mediatek is also another big player among the chip manufacturer and they make their own-designed chips as well.
Re: Near-Collapse of ZTE May Be China’s Sputnik Moment
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
> but I also believe that the Western policy of hoping that welcoming in China would lead to greater democratic freedoms was one of arrogance. I'd probably go with 'naivety' or 'over-optimism' rather than arrogance.
I guess it depends on whether one thinks that democracy and freedom are good things as such. They are not necessarily universal values, even if many in the West tend to think so.
Democracy is complicated (we have a complicated democracy because simple democracy doesn't reflect _our_ values, for instance), but freedom? Maybe at-any-costs freedom isn't universal, but freedom generically is. It is tied so deeply into human dignity you might be imagining Chinese culture poorly if you think it's a bad match.
Also, I live in Taiwan, so with a data point of 1, I'm pretty sure freedom and democracy are a really good match for Chinese culture (probably a better match than American culture? hard to say). It works well here. But that's just my two cents. [edit: it sure as hell works better than the white terror]