China and IP
I am no fan of the Chinese government and am unlikely to buy a Huawei, but can we get this clear?
China is officially run by the Communist Party.
A core tenet of communism is that all inventions and discoveries belong to the People.
Despite knowing this, since the 1990s more and more US companies (and UK ones) have shifted manufacturing to China in an effort to reduce costs and make more money.
The result is obvious.
I don't imagine anyone from the Chinese government approached Apple and ordered them to have iPhones made by Foxconn or Pegatron. They did it to increase margins and build up an enormous cash pile.
The rise of Huawei, BBK and Xiaomi is entirely the result of unrestricted Western capitalism. I forget which Communist observed that capitalism would hand the communist world the tools to defeat it, but he was right. Even if China is emerging from communism...it just doesn't need to acquire Western IP any more.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
