It has been blatantly obvious for the past 10 plus years yet most still see it as if it is new.
Substituting « the US » for « the West » on HN clarifies a lot of things.
I would rather we stop talking about the West, it does not mean much anymore.
There is no secret sauce or moat , they ve been saying that for years, and it's still true. Being number 2 in the race is a losing position, so china probably thought they might as well give it away
Most likely through their phones. They can just track you if they wanted to. Everybody knows it. This sentiment is part of why the USA will lose the propaganda war.
There is no amount of propaganda the USA can make to remedy this reality.
Is your argument that the Chinese will win a propaganda war concerning the surveillance state?
The US' software domination has really spooked a lot of people and nation states. No one really trusts US tech companies.
And sure, "everybody spies", but that in and of itself will bring a lot more competition and privacy focus, hopefully.
China will take advantage of that sentiment. They don't have to win the war personally, just the US has to lose it. India is already trying to develop its own phones, China will only keep going.
No one really trusts US tech on a global scale.