Letters to the Editor
-
Yes but
400 years ago China had zero desire and less actual ability to absorb any technology flowing the other way, back to them. They were quite happy to take the west's money because they didn't want or need anything else. I suspect that China does not feel that way now. They need us to help them develop in more ways than simply paying for it. From a high tech perspective, China is 4 decades behind the west from a pure R+D, applied, implemented technology perspective. And no amount of Tom Friedman hand flapping is going to magically allow them to make a quantum leap in the next year or two. It's clear that soon enough the Chinese machine will stall out if all they get from us is cash. Assuming they can't simply steal every last ounce of Intellectual Property they need, which is possible but not probable.