Think of it this way, the rate of technological development in China has to be happening at a faster rate in order for it to have been able to catch up with the west. Now that they’ve reached technological parity, it only makes sense that they would start visibly pulling ahead now.
Hardly surprising when American science is bullied into silence by fundamentalists pushing YEC, abstinence, raw milk, vaccine denial, moon landing conspiracy… not to mention capitalists taking subsidies for faster broadband multiple billions of dollars, multiple times, over decades, and pocketing it… gutting science programs & support at the hands of political agenda has consequences.
That plays a role obviously, but there’s a bigger issue here as well that much of the research is driven by private interests. Even universities are reliant on private capital to operate. China’s rapid technological progress stems from having state-driven R&D and centralized planning. The benefits are now becoming evident in China’s leadership in AI-driven manufacturing, clean energy, and quantum computing, and many other areas. Incidentally, Bloomberg wrote about this just recently.
On the other hand, Western progress is hindered by fragmented policies, short-term priorities, and constant infighting. Despite similar R&D investments, China’s scale and strategic patience yield greater returns, particularly in STEM fields and infrastructure development. This trajectory will likely secure China’s leadership in technology going forward. The future belongs to those who build it fastest.
Think of it this way, the rate of technological development in China has to be happening at a faster rate in order for it to have been able to catch up with the west. Now that they’ve reached technological parity, it only makes sense that they would start visibly pulling ahead now.
Hardly surprising when American science is bullied into silence by fundamentalists pushing YEC, abstinence, raw milk, vaccine denial, moon landing conspiracy… not to mention capitalists taking subsidies for faster broadband multiple billions of dollars, multiple times, over decades, and pocketing it… gutting science programs & support at the hands of political agenda has consequences.
That plays a role obviously, but there’s a bigger issue here as well that much of the research is driven by private interests. Even universities are reliant on private capital to operate. China’s rapid technological progress stems from having state-driven R&D and centralized planning. The benefits are now becoming evident in China’s leadership in AI-driven manufacturing, clean energy, and quantum computing, and many other areas. Incidentally, Bloomberg wrote about this just recently.
On the other hand, Western progress is hindered by fragmented policies, short-term priorities, and constant infighting. Despite similar R&D investments, China’s scale and strategic patience yield greater returns, particularly in STEM fields and infrastructure development. This trajectory will likely secure China’s leadership in technology going forward. The future belongs to those who build it fastest.