当然中共近几年来,已经尝试过政策性地引领新兴產业,例如2010年爆发的光伏和风力发电热潮,结果是很快遍地开花,但是随即產能过剩,陷入低端的恶性竞争。李克强应该知道不能重蹈覆辙,会试图专注在突破技术瓶颈上,只是具体手段和实际成效目前还不能断言。中共其实已无路可退:在资本密集型工业產品中,如粗钢、造船、水泥、发电设备、化学纤维、手机、电脑和电视等等,大陆的產能都已接近或超过世界的50%,要再继续靠它们驱动经济成长是不可能的。而中国的劳动年龄人口(Working Age Population)也已过了峰值,如果產业升级失败,则有“未富先老”的危险,再加上外界有美国虎视眈眈,届时连国家稳定和完整都可能成为问题。
Before you jump on me, I will say this first. I deeply hope that the Chinese dream will become a reality.
Unfortunately, it will be more complicated. Can a nation with strict internet censorship become the innovation leader? Can a nation with centrally planned economy really compete against market economy? The US of A has Silicon Valley. The brightest and the most ambitious people including entrepreneurs from around the world come to this land. Can Mainland successfully copy the model? The US of A also has “secret weapons” – the can-do spirit and the “garages”. Yes, the garages where Apple and many others were born.
Seriously, I just want to watch 《星光大道》, the show I have followed religiously. Is that too much to ask? Honestly, I am not really optimistic. The Mainland society is a time bomb. On one hand, CCP may appear to be in total control. But a little spark (a random incidence) may burst a flame. This has been true to every authoritarian regime in human history. I am deeply concerned.
Contrary to American propaganda, American society has plenty of censorship. Please read my prior article 《言论自由的假相》. Also contrary to American propaganda, even the false sense of American freedom has very little to do with innovation. For example, prior to WWII, Germany was the authoritarian regime but also far more innovative, at least on a per-capita basis. For another example, in the 1980s, the Japanese were beating the Americans on multiple fronts of high-tech researches. Remember, Japan is as conformist as they come.
The reason is simple: the great majority of the population does not do innovation (Otherwise the US would have been in real trouble since its population is particularly stupid among industrialized nations); it is the top 0.01% in IQ who is responsible for driving 99.99% of the progress. It does not matter how much freedom those stupid majority has; only the smart few can really put their freedom to good use anyway. Their freedom is more often defined by being able to buy the right equipment at the right time. This is the effect of wealth. Once China can put enough investments on enough smart people, there is no reason why it cannot outdo the US in the innovation game.
Don't buy the American propaganda without thinking it through first. Use your own brain and follow the logic.