Protectionism and 3COM
So it appears that they have pulled the plug on Huawei holding equity in what is currently 3COM. Some folks in Congress apparently told Bain that this just wasn’t going to happen.
Protectionism is alive and well and living in the U.S., among other places. You know, it’s not that I think the U.S. is the worst transgressor on the planet in this area. It just would be nice if the U.S. held itself to a higher standard, in which case I, as an American, could look down on all those other protectionist countries and feel morally superior. I can dream about it.
As things stand now, there aren’t that many things I, as an American, can feel morally superior about anymore. Pity, particularly since I, as an individual, have absolutely nothing to lord over anyone else. Maybe I should start identifying myself as Chinese?
As an ardent free trader, even I had hesitations about this 3Com deal. The security implications were just too troubling, and even if all the promises had been kept and no sensitive technology was transferred to the PLA (given China’s past records with promises and Hong Kong, Olympic liberalization, etc, I’m not one to give them the benefit of the doubt), the case still sets a precedent–and when it comes to the technology upon which the United States depends for its national security, I’d much rather have these would-be corporate suitors err on the side of caution.
I love this. Really do we think that 3Com has that much technology in-house that China does not have already? There was a time that the Windows operating system was considered highly sensitive. God forbid someone launches an ICBM with it.
Nope I think this again a bad excuse for protectionism. Why don’t they just say: “We don’t like Chinese”?
Huawei actually manages the network of KPN Telecom, the Netherlands national carrier. Scary isn’t it? Well we all remember the song “I love Chinese” so nicely written in the early 70′s by Michael Palin and John Cleese. Written in a time where the Russians we totally evil and the Chinese supposed to be the next kid on the block. Seems they have made it.