China Daily reported today: "Professor Jin Keyu, director of the Institute for Geoeconomics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said that globalization is undergoing restructuring, and it is now impossible to block technology and knowledge."
Jin Keyu said that it is now impossible to block technology and knowledge. She said, "In the 19th century, high-tech could be locked inside a machine to prevent theft. If someone wanted to steal it, they would have to move the entire device and smuggle it from Britain to the United States. That is no longer feasible now. Technology cannot be blocked."
The U.S.-China tech war has begun, with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a key area of contention. The United States has strictly controlled the export of AI chips and technology to China.
Commentary: Jin Keyu's views reveal the evolution of the logic of technological dissemination. In the 19th century, technology was dependent on physical machines, and physical transportation was the only way to steal it, making blockades feasible. However, in the digital age, technology exists in the form of data, code, and knowledge systems, spreading rapidly through global talent mobility, academic exchanges, and industrial collaboration networks. Even the most stringent control measures are difficult to completely cut off its transmission paths. The strict restrictions imposed by the United States on Chinese AI chips may appear to be a heavy blow to technological blockade, but in reality, it is more like a temporary strategy during the restructuring phase of globalization.
The essence of this confrontation is no longer a multiple-choice question of "whether it is possible to block," but rather an essential question of "how to seize the innovation high ground amidst blockades and countermeasures." For the United States, although restrictions can temporarily delay the development of its opponent, they will also force China to accelerate its independent research and development process, while causing domestic chip companies to lose access to the vast Chinese market. For China, external pressure is both a challenge and a driving force, pushing upstream and downstream industries to collaborate and tackle challenges, forming differentiated advantages in areas such as AI algorithms and application scenarios. Ultimately, in the current era where technology knows no borders, isolation leads to mutual loss, and only seeking cooperation within competition is the long-term path for technological development.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852113686735875/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.