Headline May 29, 2019/ '' 'TECHNOLOGIES ' LONG MARCH TECHNOPHOBIA' ''

'' 'TECHNOLOGIES' LONG MARCH

 TECHNOPHOBIA ''

THE US GOVERNMENT'S RECENT aggressive moves against Huawei are a pressing reminder that it faces its own technology behemoths to content with.

Governments around the world must come up with strategies to protect their citizens from threats to security, privacy and democracy posed by American Big Tech companies.

Operating in an  notoriously under-regulated industry, they have thwarted the dreams of the Internet becoming a democratic force, amassed power and exploited users for personal enrichment.

CHINA'S PRESIDENT HAS called for technological self-reliance in the escalating rivalry with America, but -

Experts believe Beijing's late start on tech and relatively backward capabilities could make that a mission impossible.

China has no doubt made an amazing transformation, from a basket-case wracked by mass famine and political upheaval to a highly connected society marked by growing use of renewable energy, a space programme, and bullet trains crossing the country.

But a closer look reveals that while China is adept at assembling foreign technologies into commercial successful products at home, its ability innovate remains deeply hampered, tech experts said.

Take semiconductors, the building blocks of the global digital architecture.

China's government has poured money into an effort to develop its own semiconductors and chip designs but has not been able to close the gap with US, Japanese, and South Korean rivals.

''One way to look at [China's situation] is that someone may be able to make beautiful designs out of  Legos, but they don't know how to make the Legos themselves,'' said Babriel Chou, Asia chair for  World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, a grouping of semiconductor-product companies.

''[China] is aggressively attacking end-market, such as mobile phones or other consumer products. But semiconductors require many very fundamental science skills'' that China struggles with, Chou added.

The risks are now clear following last week's move by Washington to ban Chinese telecom and smartphone giant Huawei's access to critical American chip and other technology.

The ban has thrown the company's future into doubt, causing a number of Huawei's partners around the world to bail on the company and emphatically illustrating US tech clout.

LONG MARCH : President Xi Jinping this week telegraphed his alarm, calling for self-reliance in  ''key core technologies'' while saying China faced a ''Long March'' against foreign challengers - a reference to a now-legendary 1934-35 strategic retreat by Communist revolutionaries.

But a state-directed approach is a bad idea, said Paul Triolo, head of a Geotechnology at the Eurasia Group.

Triolo said the world's top tech companies got where they are because open competition with rivals forced them to develop better products and attract the best human capital

And being plunged into the world tech ecosystem encouraged them to constantly tailor products to evolving market needs and to stay ahead of the pack - or die.

''It's incredibly hard to wean yourself off foreign suppliers in such a highly market driven sector where you must be on the cutting edge, and that edge is constantly changing and moving out ward,'' Triolo said.

The very idea of national self-reliance flies in the face of reality, he goes on to add.

Different countries have excelled in different areas and focused on their core competencies to survive, leading to a complex and interconnected global supply chain.

The Honor and Serving of the latest Global Operational Research on Technologies, Evolution, and  Marketplace, continues. The World Students Society thanks authors AFP, and Anum Malkani.

With respectful dedication to the Leaders, Big Tech Companies, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world.

See Ya all prepare for Great Global Elections and ''register'' on The World Students Society : wsscciw.blogspot.com and Twitter -!E-WOW! - the Ecosystem 2011:

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