| >It's actually smart of China to protect their tech sector from being steamrolled over. Yet there's no homegrown Android, no Chinese OS, etc. Just lazy Linux distro derivatives and lots of pirating of Western software. I think you're overplaying the perceived benefit of protectionism. Europe's lack of innovation has more to do with its high regulatory environment, high taxes, expensive labor entitlements, and anti-entrepreneurial attitudes. How well is protectionism working in Brazil, which has absurd import taxes? They need to import that things they can't make, which are significant, and Brazilians pay absurd tariffs on these goods. The benefits of open and free markets are obvious. >Xiaomi 4k model is $460. Again, that's not the US price. There is no US price yet, or ever. The US/EU price will include import costs and patent/licensing fees for technology they are using. There's a reason you can't get Xiamo phones in the West. The DJI price includes all of that and the 4k Phantom 3 is $649. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1208608-REG/dji_phanto... That's a real product you can buy today, not a disingenuous yuan to dollar conversion. |
Not yet, but seeing how they have taken over the hardware industry, I can see them taking on hardware very soon.
Their mobile apps are getting to be quite innovative, with Facebook copying many WeChat features.
> I think you're overplaying the perceived benefit of protectionism.
If you read the book, "Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism" you'll see that protectionism and IP theft played a major role in helping all modern Western nations develop.
Like the US stealing British tech to fuel their own industrial revolution, and not respecting patents until it benefited tem.
For a more recent example, take a look at South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. All of them are protectionist until just 25 some years ago.