> Remember the land of the individual, of personal freedom, of opportunity, that by its culture generated invention and innovation that other places, without that culture, couldn't match. What China, which is limited by central control, is doing is copying well-established innovations
They don’t seem to be limited by it at all and in many areas of high tech innovation they are years ahead.
It’s very hard to argue that their EV market, for instance, is not an example of competitiveness driving innovation, which is supposedly the hallmark of the free market.
Their EV market is pretty competitive, and they have multiple brands all releasing EVs. Nio, BYD, and Xpeng come to mind. Compare to the US, where we only have one EV maker with a decent market share (Tesla) which has stagnated in innovation. My argument is that where China has succeeded, it has done so by adopting Western values like free-market competition (see the reforms of Deng Xiaopeng) and where the West has failed, it is due to monopolization and stagnation/decadence.
Relying too much on free-market competition is what is causing the west to stagnate. Left on their own, markets will produce monopolies and won't invest in expensive and risky basic research, or really anything of value where that value can't be captured by a single profit seeking entity. China is using free markets more as a tool when it makes sense and not treating it as an intrinsic value like the west has been. China has used subsidies and carefully controls that no businesses get to a monopoly position, which allows markets to function more efficiently and directs their power to things that make sense for the nation as a whole instead of just a single company or industry.
They don’t seem to be limited by it at all and in many areas of high tech innovation they are years ahead.
It’s very hard to argue that their EV market, for instance, is not an example of competitiveness driving innovation, which is supposedly the hallmark of the free market.