The editors of the Washington Post note the problems the Chinese authorities have had keeping wraps on the tour boat accident in the Yangtze River this week and remark:
The stirrings showed that Mr. Xi’s attempt to impose Stalinist-style information controls may not work in 21st-century China. His regime would foster more trust were it to follow the examples of neighbors such as South Korea and Taiwan, which live-streamed video of rescue efforts after recent disasters and encouraged debate about what went wrong. In attempting to shield the regime from criticism, Beijing’s censors are only adding to public embitterment.
I don’t think they’ve realized the half of it. The Chinese authorities are in a bind. They just can’t control information the way they used to. They can either choose to be a part of the rest of the world or not. They could keep cellphones, computer technology, and Internet technology out of the hands of their citizens and remain permanently in the 1970s with the same GDP and poverty problems they had in the 1970s or join the rest of the world and lose control. Loss of control inevitably signs the CCP’s death warrant. It’s just a matter of time.
That also points to a gaping security hole of which the Chinese authorities are undoubtedly aware but which I doubt most Americans are. China has, I believe, two physical connections to the Internet. Cut those (something well within our power) and China’s manufacturing companies lose their connections to their overseas corporate customers all of which use just-in-time inventory systems. No Internet means that having your manufacturing in China suddenly becomes a lot less attractive. Companies like Apple (or Walmart) that are dependent on Chinese suppliers would find things pretty difficult, too, but most companies aren’t quite as dependent on lines of communication to China as those two are.
Prudent companies have second sources.
