Not just China, but most of the world should have reservations about buying us products after recent revelations, but China has long had both covert and overt measures to disadvantage foreign competitors in all industries. These brands already had big hurdles due to the highly protectionist atmosphere in China, I do not think this change will be of any real significance.
China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
41–50 of 52 posts
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
Germany is not "under the thumb" of the U.S as much as you seem to think. Just look at Ukraine or all the anti Google action that reeks of protectionism. There are simply too many rational arguments against starting a trade war over NSA rigged electronics. Neither Germany nor Europe as a whole makes enough electronics equipment to replace everything that may have been rigged by the NSA or other nations' spy agencies.…
European electronics and surrounding technology could very well ease the problem. That does not imply rolling back globalisation or division of labor nor is it aiming at national self-sufficiency, it's about competition and having choices. It's virtually impossible to evade US-american or chinese products if you want to buy a modern electronic consumer device. That is what should change in my opinion.
And why are you assuming that European spy agencies are less inclined to spy? The Bundestrojaner made it pretty obvious that German authorities have no qualms about it and the UK ... well, I guess I don't have to elaborate on the UK. What makes the US special is its global reach, not its particularly evil intentions.
The choice that I would like to have is a radically more transparent, pluralistic design, development and production process. We need many eyes from all kinds of different people on every single piece of hardware and software. We won't get that by having one government take action against another one. This needs to be a global initiative.
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#43I would be great if an independent lab would certify equipment and software as spyware free. And it would be great if one could buy insurance to that effect on equipment and software. The NSA has done great economic damage to US exports of software and IT equipment. I suppose that US government oversight of the NSA takes that into account.
> I would be great if an independent lab would certify equipment and software as spyware free.
I agree, but where would you put it such that the intelligence services of the Big-8 couldn't co-opt it? They don't always go to the owners and say "Hey, yo, mind if we put our spy stuff in your stuff?"
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#44I do understand their security concerns though having read part of what the media reports of Edward Snowdens revelations. I think some things China are doing some things that is worth a WTO investigation. For example that you cannot put up IT with media services in China without a local partner and a license from the Chinese state. Then surprise the local China partner may end up copying your services intellectual pr…
That's a superior bargaining position. Any other government could require the same things China does, but they don't, because companies aren't as desperate to do business there. The principle is no different from any other tariff, it's just paid in intellectual property rather than cash.
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#45I would be great if an independent lab would certify equipment and software as spyware free. And it would be great if one could buy insurance to that effect on equipment and software. The NSA has done great economic damage to US exports of software and IT equipment. I suppose that US government oversight of the NSA takes that into account.
It's astonishing that people can still talk about such a thing as an "independent lab" with a straight face.
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
They already have their own Cisco: Huawei Cisco went a few rounds with them in the past, accusing and suing Huawei for essentially reverse engineering their products. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/29/cisco_huawei_case_en...
Not just reverse engineering, but using an outright copy of the source code. I have worked at multiple huawei competitors (and even some non direct competitors) where some engineers joined and suddenly disappeared after it was discovered that they were still on the huawei payroll.
When I lived in Beijing several years ago, I interviewed a guy for a software development position. He worked for a network equipment provider (not Huawei). When I asked him about his work, he told me that his company based their router software on the same leaked version of Cisco's router OS that Huawei had used several years prior (IIRC, there was a court case over this, and Huaiwei switched to their own software).
Based on my experience, the Chinese now have the breadth, depth, confidence, and money to develop complex software on their own, so I expect to see less of this in the future.
As per this article, the Chinese can make a fair point to the US government that so long as Huawei is barred from the US, then there's nothing to discuss about telecom infrastructure equipment.
But I hope and wish the US and other Western governments will press for more media openness in China with the goal of ultimately getting China to tear down their system of censorship and the Great Firewall. Because, ultimately, I believe it hurts modern China more than it helps.
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#47This is really interesting not just from the security angle. I read http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Samaritans-Secret-History-Capitali... this book recently. It talks about how South Korea became an technological powerhouse so quickly compared to their neighbors. China could be using the security fears, and protectionism to create their own version of silicon valley. It wouldn't really surprise me, as some US cities like B…
Boston has always had plenty of technology companies. Back in the days of minicomputers, three of the big players, Digital Equipment Corporation, Data General, and Prime were based outside of Boston.
Oh cool.
I've read articles fairly recently that seems to pitch Boston as the Silicon Valley of the East Coast or trying to compete with Silicon Valley for startups/talent.
Do you have thoughts about that, I'd like to hear them.
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#48"China drops leading NSA partners for state purchases" might be a better title
Indeed the China government has a good reason to concern much about information security.
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#49This should give European tech companies a chance to get back in the game.
European tech companies are still doing well in the game. For example, Nokia is the 2nd or 3rd biggest manufacturer of telecom equipment (depending on how you slice/group the market).
Re: China drops leading technology brands for state purchases
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
Macs are an option and are increasingly popular...not just by high end consumers but also in SOEs. Linux has done well enough via android and lenovo is making big bets beyond mobile devices with it.
I am not saying the nobody in China buys Macs, but it is probably not the same people who would otherwise run pirated Windows.
7 years ago I would have agreed with that. Today I'm not sure.