[spongepoc]

The assumption that China will become the world's most important market is extremely wrong-headed. Their government is incredibly fragile and the world saw this with the outpouring of dissent on WeChat during the COVID outbreak. China also faces the largest demographic timebomb that will ever be witnessed in history, has no allies, nor exportable culture or soft power. These will a huge impediment to it as it tries to move from manufacturing power to political power. Also the Chinese are a decade behind in semiconductor fabrication and fundamentally are still highly dependent on Western tech. The world still dreams to be American in a way they don't dream to be Chinese.

By the way, bringing in politics to a discussion about tech with those comments on Iraq is best avoided.

[dash2]

"No soft power" and "no exportable culture" seem like an exaggeration. Chinese culture had huge influence historically on Japan and Korea. More recently a lot of people enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and the Dark Forest scifi trilogy.

[tasogare]

You are right to point that out, since it’s more a lack of knowledge from GP than of exportable culture. I’ll add to your comment that China exports for decades a of lot of cultural products like drama and songs in all East-Asia, where significant ethnical Chinese minorities reside and consume those media. Chinese is also a popular second language for people to learn in the West.

[inglor_cz]

Chinas soft power is the ability and willingness to bribe politicians from Montenegro to Sri Lanka. Do not underestimate the efficiency of bribes.

[posix_me_less]

> bringing in politics to a discussion about tech

Check you first paragraph, it is political commentary as well. Also, this whole topic is 99% politics and very little technology.