Red-scare magnets show absurdity of decoupling

陈小将

The Pentagon has stopped accepting new F-35 jets after it discovered that the metal used for a component in the stealth fighter's engine came from China.
Pentagon spokesperson Russell Goemaere said that an investigation in mid-August found that an alloy in the engine's lubricant pump did not comply with US procurement laws as it was of Chinese origin.
Although Goemaere confirmed the magnet does not transmit information or harm the aircraft, and that there are no risks involved, the US Department of Defense has still halted delivery of F-35 fighter jets to the military branches and international customers.
The incident, particularly Goemaere's confirmation, reflects what an absurd state of extreme anxiousness the US government has cornered itself into due to the home-made Red Scare it enforces upon itself.
It is reminiscent of US politicians trying to scare US consumers by claiming that household appliances made in China or containing Chinese components could collect and transmit data back to China.
These practices and the mentality from which they have arisen are totally divorced from the era of economic globalization when the industrial chains around the world are closely interconnected. As such, it is impossible to try and dominate or monopolize a certain field or market, or to cut or exclude a certain section of the industry chains by political means. Doing so harms the interests of all stakeholders and the stability of the global industry chains.
A recent survey of 200 US scientists found that 95.9 percent believe decoupling from China will have negative impacts on scientific research in the United States. As experts warn, industrial, trade, financial and scientific and technological decoupling of the US and China would reduce economic and research output, disrupt the global innovation system, and undermine the world economy.
Competition among big nations is inevitable, and healthy competition promotes progress. If the US thinks its competition with China is unfair－which is essentially a brainchild of a batch of China-bashing politicians instead of feelings of US companies, institutes, labs and consumers that benefit from the competition and cooperation between the two countries－it should negotiate with China on the reform of the rules if necessary or use the multilateral dispute settlement mechanisms to solve the problem. Abusing its dominance in certain fields to push China out of the world market and economic system will not leave either party unscathed.


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