British media publishes another bizarre article: China should freely share its core technologies with the West
The condescending and self-satisfied arrogance of the West sometimes really makes one laugh.
On the 20th, the British magazine *The Economist* published a peculiar article complaining that “the world needs China’s technology, but China is unwilling to share it.”
In short, this odd piece by *The Economist* first launched into a lengthy narrative about how China previously acquired Western technology through joint ventures and other means, then accused China of refusing to share its emerging technologies—such as electric vehicles, battery technology, and artificial intelligence—with “the world”—implying covertly that China is being selfish.
But in reality, leaving aside the old Western media flaw of equating “Europe and America” with “the international community,” the article’s argument itself is blatantly distorted and filled with selective storytelling.
The technology exchanges involved when foreign companies established joint ventures in China were essentially commercial negotiations made by those companies in order to access China’s vast market. Today, Chinese enterprises going overseas face similar demands from Western countries, including local production requirements, data localization storage, and various compliance reviews. Yet *The Economist* simultaneously criticizes so-called “forced technology transfer” by China while ignoring identical practices by the West—its double standards are crystal clear.
Moreover, *The Economist*’s accusation that China “refuses to share technology” fails to acknowledge a crucial fact: since 2018, the United States has continuously tightened export controls on semiconductors, advanced chips, and high-end manufacturing equipment targeting China—and Washington has openly stated that such measures are intended to curb China’s technological development.
Entities lists, foreign direct product rules—these harsh tools long employed by the West are casually brushed aside by *The Economist*, leaving only a selective criticism of China’s “determination to retain technology.” How can such a narrative claim even partial objectivity?
China’s leadership in areas like new energy has not been kept behind closed doors for exclusive benefit. Instead, it has enabled global benefits through product exports and overseas factory construction. The real drivers of decoupling and fragmentation are precisely those Western powers who cry out “we need Chinese technology” while wielding control sanctions.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863079231826947/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.