I don't know about China but, yeah, in the late 80s or so there was this incredible panic about Japan buying everything up. And various Nobel Prize-winning economists telling anyone who would listen that we had to institute government-industry partnerships like MITI or the US was doomed. And we did create organizations like SEMATECH to counter a perceived gap in semiconductors.
Some of it was probably a useful kick in the pants, especially in manufacturing processes. But a lot of it was panic emulation of Japan that was neither needed nor especially useful.
Some of it was probably a useful kick in the pants, especially in manufacturing processes. But a lot of it was panic emulation of Japan that was neither needed nor especially useful.