
US Welcome of Three Scientists Helped China Become a Global Tech Superpower - hkai
https://beta.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/2176252/now-locked-head-rivalry-us-once-helped-china-kick-start-its-science
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NTDF9
The recent rhetoric of fear of rise of China as a competitor are super
interesting as an observer.

For most of post-world-war era, the US tried to make (sometimes bomb)
countries into making them more like America. China did that. Then they were
called copy cats. Now China makes more and better goods and services and
America (at least the local fear mongerers) seem shocked, taken by surprise
and adversarial.

Which begs the question, didn't America always want other countries to be like
them?

Another interesting aspect of the rise of the "others":

For so many years, American higher education invited (and also sucked money)
off of foreign students. For the large part, they stayed here and innovated
and started companies and made America a tech powerhouse at the expense of the
countries that raised those kids.

Then America started becoming more protectionist, which caused these budding
young well-educated adults to go back to their own country with American
education and American experience. What did the protectionists think these
kids would do in their home countries? Twiddle thumbs? Of course they'll make
competing products. They are skilled, educated and already such risk takers to
go to a foreign land when they were young. The complete recipe for
entrepreneurs and leaders.

Really really funny to observe. As a non-partisan observer, it almost seems
like a high school bully scrambling to protect their turf while the nerdy kid
built themselves up over the summer and is doing everything better.

It's funny and sad at the same time. I wonder if there's a phrase for this
feeling.

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nopinsight
The ending paragraph is interesting:

"For Liu, China’s rapid rise as a tech giant has not put his mind at ease.
“Don’t always say things like ‘our country is amazing’ or ‘we are taking the
lead’. Just work hard,” he said, referring to state media propaganda that has
since been toned down in light of the trade tensions. “We still need 30 years
to catch up with the US.”"

