[worldsurfblue]

> There is no stopping China in the information age.

Says who?

> Someone said "information wants to be free". That was 35 years ago.

China's great firewall will disagree with that statement

> China will catch up to the west whether it is by stealing, acquiring or of their own accord

Not if you safeguard your secrets, plus their own crashing economy will stop the catching up part

[njoro]

> Says who?

I just did.

> China's great firewall will disagree with that statement

Not really. The firewall isn't really stopping anyone. The reason Chinese people are unconvinced about the west isn't because they don't know about it. It isn't North Korea. It is because China is providing their own narrative. They have their own culture, services, infrastructure and increasingly opportunities. Sure, part of that dampening other narratives. But they are ultimately succeeding because they are making progress themselves.

> Not if you safeguard your secrets

How are you going to safeguard your secrets when, not only is it increasingly hard, but the utility of information is often also only as great as the amount of people knowing about it? A significant part of the industry (in the west) is foreigners to begin with.

> plus their own crashing economy will stop the catching up part

People have been saying that for years. Maybe it will happen. But there is also nothing saying half of the western technology industry won't go down with a recession and subsequent housing market crash in San Francisco, Stockholm, London etc.

[tiatia123]

"But there is also nothing saying half of the western technology industry won't go down with a recession and subsequent housing market crash in San Francisco, Stockholm, London etc."

What do you mean by recession? Depression? The west can survive a huge recession. Can Xi and his regime? I have doubts. Let me make a prediction. Xi will go down as one of the biggest failures in China. Mark my words!

[mistermann]

If someone stands up to him, maybe, but as long as there's a bit of extra margin to be made and improved quarterly numbers to grab that higher bonus, Western executives will sell out to China every day of the week, and Xi knows it. He also know he can manipulate American public opinion by using their hatred for Trump against them.

Its easy to come up with a pro-western theory, I'll start believing in the impotent China narrative when I see some sign of it in observable reality.

[onetimemanytime]

>>Not if you safeguard your secrets, plus their own crashing economy will stop the catching up part

Long term you can't. China will offer $10 million, $100 million or even a Billion to the person that knows /has access to everything. Add blackmail to really entice him /her. China really needs this tech, as per the article they're spending more on importing chips than oil. Add potential actions, ala ZTE, and it becomes a matter of their NAT SEC. Nothing is spared...