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689 points taubek | 4 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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rayiner ◴[] No.43632822[source]
Americans need to get over their view of “Asia” as being about making shoes. When I was working in engineering in the early aughts, we mocked the Chinese as being able only to copy American technology. Today, China is competitive with or ahead of America in key technology areas, including nuclear power, AI, EVs, and batteries.

We need to anticipate a future where China is equal to America on a per capita basis, but four times bigger. Is that a world where “Designed by Apple in California, Made in China” still makes sense? What will be America’s competitive edge in that scenario?

What seems most likely to me in the future is that the US will find itself in the same position the UK is in now. Dominating finance and services won’t mean anything when both the IP and the physical products are being produced somewhere else.

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niemandhier ◴[] No.43637388[source]
Nope. Well maybe, if trumpism continues.

Point is: The best and brightest go where they think their life will be most fulfilling. Up to last year that was California for tech and New York for culture.

Even the Chinese think china is oppressive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_ping#:~:text=Tang%20ping%...

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1. decimalenough ◴[] No.43637472[source]
It's not the best and the brightest who are lying flat, but those who lost the rat race.

All things considered, most Chinese would prefer to stay in China, and if you're rich there you've got it made.

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2. niemandhier ◴[] No.43638134[source]
By all accounts, you do not get rich in china by work. I work with the most talented Chinese scientists and none of them expects to be wealthy at home, the best hope to be what would be middle class in the US.

Unless they manage to get to the US they return, because they would not be safe from harassment anywhere else.

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3. decimalenough ◴[] No.43638955[source]
Scientists in most fields, sure, but that's the case anywhere. If you happen to be an AI expert though, pay at top Chinese companies is very competitive with Silicon Valley.

Also, the structural inequalities of Chinese society dwarf the West, meaning that the Chinese middle class gets a lot more bang for their buck: ridiculously cheap delivery services, taxis, and other services.

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4. niemandhier ◴[] No.43640847{3}[source]
Sure, but no Chinese person I know has forgotten that their government literally walled in people during Covid.