In a story set in the Jin Dynasty (266-420), an old woman is robbed. A young man comes to her rescue and tracks down the thief, who turns around and accuses her of being the thief. It is late and dark, and the old woman can only look from one to the other, confused. Washington, these days, seems to be acting exactly like the thief, trying to turn the tables by pointing fingers at others.
For starters, Washington accuses China of seeking world domination. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in response to an interview question that “I think what’s important is whether China is willing to do anything to dominate the world.” [China] “Our goal is to be the dominant power in the world militarily, economically and diplomatically.”
Given China’s heavy reliance on imported chips and its vulnerability to external factors, it is by no means poised to dominate the global chip industry.
It is reasonable to assume that Washington’s accusation is motivated more by fears of the US losing its technological hegemony than by a Chinese takeover. As US National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan said at a technology briefing in 2022: “Given the fundamental nature of some technologies, such as advanced logic and memory chips, we need to maintain as much of a lead as possible.”
Washington views China’s advances in innovation and technology as a threat to its technological dominance. Its narrative of China’s ambition for technological dominance is useful in justifying its relentless and ferocious attacks on China. It is also useful in stoking the concerns and worries of US allies in order to rally support for hindering China’s technological development.
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Biden to introduce new restrictions on US investment in China, declares tech ’emergency’
Biden to introduce new restrictions on US investment in China, declares tech ’emergency’
But technological dominance has never been – and never will be – China’s goal. China shares its technologies and innovations with others. For example, it makes technologies such as 5G networks, cloud computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence available to African countries.
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Why the EU and US are worried about China’s overcapacity
Why the EU and US are worried about China’s overcapacity
But in bringing such benefits to the world, China is eroding the monopoly power of Western multinationals. China’s technological advances and industrial prowess mean that these companies can no longer charge high prices for their products and services.
The Chinese story I told at the beginning of my article has a happy ending. The thief and the young man who caught him are brought before a local official who orders them to run an errand. The thief was not so fast, which was why he was caught. The official thus identified the criminal and justice was served. Washington, too, may soon discover that duplicity always catches up with us in the end. A thief who shouts “thief” may work, but only for a while.
Zhou Xiaoming is a senior researcher at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing and former deputy representative of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
