Sure, but how you become independent if your tariffs hinder your own r&d? China seems to do it smarter by importing what needs to be imported until they can do it on their own
It's certainly something that countries should have seen coming a long time ago and have a better plan than just tariffs once it's too late. Sometimes feels like China was the only societal model that didn't allow itself to be captured by fossil fuel interests from within their own or other countries and so could react correctly to this obvious development.
China is being captured by the largest force of them all: the communist party. The party's influence has to be kept at all cost, even the economy. The current crackdown of tech companies -- Alibaba, crypto, e-tutoring -- shows that the party will not tolerate forces veering off their control.
As for fossil fuel interest, China import oil, so that's the necessary evil, and they will be happy to get rid of it the moment they can.
I don't get it. Why is the crackdown on e-tutoring bad?
I am not saying you are wrong. I do t know enough to say that. However, it is clear that we can't have a "free market" in many things, perhaps anything at all if you ask me. Too much information asymettry.
Look at India and white hat jr. There are some terrible people in this world.
Edit: you are trying to profit off of gullible parents' fear of missing out. Ed 'tech' ought to be nonprofit. You guys who are in for profit ed tech are worse than facebook.
The crackdown is not to reduce prices, the free market does that. The crackdown is to discourage/control learning western language and culture, as well as keep money from leaving the country for a service that reduces it's grip.
I wonder what a thorough comparison between the fossil fuel industry and the chinese communist party would reveal.
I can imagine a few surpises in stats around number of political opponents or inconvenient civilians killed, democratic accountability, propaganda, human rights abuses, wars started, deaths due to negligence, etc.