BENGALURU: China seeks global technological superiority as it believes that it has the technology that will give it global influence and leadership, and not merely military power. On the other hand, the US being the current technology and military power, feels mortally threatened by China’s technological progress, said Arogyaswami J. Paulraj, an Emeritus Professor at Stanford University and recipient of Padma Bhushan, at the 60th Synergia Forum.
With China’s excellence in wireless infrastructure, and emerging as a big contributor to global electronic manufacturing, China is marching towards technological empowerment. This is the opposite of the US where policy lifespan, under President Trump, is sometimes measured in days. The US has begun to go after China’s technology strengths (e.g. Huawei) through a variety of penal measures ending 40 years of Sino-American engagement that brought strategic and economic benefits to both sides, he said during a talk, ‘US-China Technology Conflict and Lessons from the Peloponnesian War’.
On the importance of mass market technology, he said, “Irrespective of the country’s influence, economic power is directly linked to technology. High technologies are of greatest value to a country. Only when technology is used by millions of people, it creates income. The economy then goes to build the military which works in protecting the economy.” Mass market technology leads to development in both economic and military profile of a country.
On the Indian scenario, he said that vast investments are needed to be successful in bringing back the brains that the country has contributed to the world. The US-China technological conflict proves the role and importance of technological development. This, when encouraged can be a strong contributor to national power.
The Synergia Foundation will host a Conclave from Oct. 17-19, which will bring together over 150 global policymakers, security practitioners, media, industry chieftains and academics on a single platform to obtain a 360-degree perspective issues that challenge human security. The theme for the Conclave is ‘The Future of Security- Beyond the curve.’ Sessi ons include Data Security and Data Privacy, Cyber Security, Ecosystem in Telecommunications, Threats to Critical Infrastructure, etc.
