Posted on 01/28/2006 8:29:28 PM PST by maui_hawaii
DAVOS, Switzerland -- The specter of state censorship and the proliferation of software piracy shouldn't deter technology companies from doing business in China, Bill Gates said Friday.
As technology develops and Chinese innovations multiply, those problems gradually will dissipate, the Microsoft Corp. chairman and co-founder said.
"I think (the Internet) is contributing to Chinese political engagement. ... Access to the outside world is preventing more censorship," Gates said, referring to China's restrictions on politically sensitive Web sites.
Microsoft, Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have been criticized for acquiescing to Chinese government demands to block access to certain sites, a move critics contend suppresses free speech in the country.
But Gates said that despite the blockage, the Internet has contributed to the national dialogue simply by existing.
"I do think information flow is happening in China," Gates said. "There's no doubt in my mind that's been a huge plus."
Gates added that software piracy is a problem that will likely be solved over time, because as Chinese-made technology evolves, the country's respect for intellectual property rights will improve.
"We are always upset that they aren't paying us for our products, but we're not going to pick up and go home," Gates said.
Excuse my naiveté. Of course such a pattern would not have provided for building the PLA and hindreds of nuclear missiles -- and besides, those 800 million pesky peasants outside of the special economic zones and their 70,000 or so confrontations with Chi-Com authorities each year can be handled by another "strike hard" policy.
Meanwhile the 300 million or so Chinese in the special economic zones frantically search for space to receive all the Western useful idiots' technology, wealth (FDI), and modern factories. The PLA thanks you, Mr. Gates, and all!
This almost reminds me of what is happening in Russia... Oh wait, it is happening...
If Bill Gates were around in the 1930's, he would have probably said the same thing about Japan. China is our current adversary and our future enemy. History repeats itself. If it were South Africa during apartheid and they wanted censorship, would he be making the same speech.
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