Dump China: Time to End Beijing's Pernicious Tech Empire

by Gordon G. Chang • June 24, 2020 at 5:00 am

China's window of vulnerability... is only a few years at most. So this is the time for the world to act.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology talks about the country committing $1.4 trillion in the next five years.
China also is working on plundering Google, which has various operations in the People's Republic including its AI China Center in Beijing and partnerships with the country's two leading universities, Peking and Tsinghua. Yet the company has larger plans.
Google, which has refused to work with the Defense Department on artificial intelligence, is helping the Chinese military in that critical field. This situation is hideous. "The United States has to absolutely prohibit Google and other tech firms from doing business in China or with Chinese firms," according to Brandon Weichert.
China's market is losing its attractiveness. The economy is in distress, suffering from both the coronavirus epidemic and systemic weaknesses, such as excessive indebtedness, smothering state controls, and xenophobic hostility to foreign investment.... Now is the time to shut down Beijing's massive, state-directed, and government-funded effort to dominate the world's technologies.

Can China innovate the technologies of tomorrow with an oppressive political system, a failing economy and loss of support from the international community? Despite everything, Xi's China has managed to become a technology leader in critical fields, such as quantum communications and 5G wireless communications. (Photo by Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

"China," some say, "is largely a land of rule-bound rote learners." The Chinese try but rarely make breakthroughs on their own. Moreover, ruler Xi Jinping, who demands that his regime dominate the technologies of the world, is fast eliminating the one essential ingredient of innovation: freedom. Totalitarianism promotes obedience, a quality not particularly helpful for developing the technologies of tomorrow.

Yet despite everything, Xi's China has still managed to become a technology leader in critical fields, such as quantum communications and 5G wireless communications. The Chinese, because of their success, are now racing to own the technologies of this century.

China also has weaknesses. Its economy is failing, and the regime, through especially provocative actions, is losing the support of the international community. The country's window of vulnerability, however, is only a few years at most. So this is the time for the world to act.

Continue Reading Article

"Where are the Visible and Audible Women in the Muslim Community?"

by Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff • June 24, 2020 at 4:00 am

"Muslim women are hampered in their development by difficult circumstances and a theory of coercion. ... I could not tolerate that women can only pray in the back of mosques and are not properly recognized. I wanted to change this traditional picture, but the IGGÖ refused to question this, even institutionalized it." — Fatma Akay-Türker, former spokeswoman for women's affairs of the Islamic Faith Community, who resigned.
"I believe in democracy, freedom, questioning deadlocked theological structures and the equality of human beings. In a world dominated by men I fight for the right of women to speak out, against all forms of discrimination and the sexualization of women." — Fatma Akay-Türker.
"Relevant passages [of the Koran] regarding women must be reinterpreted. But this was not accepted among the men [in the council]. The classical interpretation of the Koran cannot solve the problems of women...." — Fatma Akay-Türker.
In the meantime, a man has filled Akay-Türker's position.

Fatma Akay-Türker, until her resignation, served as the only woman on the highest board of the Islamic Faith Community of Austria. Her unexpected departure raised some eyebrows among the Muslim community. Pictured: Vienna, Austria. (Image source: Xell/Wikimedia Commons)

Fatma Akay-Türker, until June 16 spokeswoman for women's affairs of the Islamic Faith Community of Austria (IGGÖ), has stepped down with a statement:

Resignation!!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to inform you that I have resigned from my position in the Shura Council at the IGGÖ as well as my job as Islamic religious education teacher.
Therefore, I declare that I have no connection whatsoever to any institution, organization or political establishment.
Respectfully,
Dr. Fatma AKAY-TÜRKER

Continue Reading Article