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美国国家公共电台 NPR China Makes A Big Play In Silicon Valley

时间:2018-10-10 05:16:55

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LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

There is a trade war underway between the U.S. and China, and it is a big concern to the global economy. But there's another deeper rift1 brewing2 between Washington and Beijing. And that stems from China's effort to unseat the U.S. as the global leader when it comes to technology and innovation. In the next installment3 of our series on China's growing role in the world, we turn to the U.S., where NPR's Jackie Northam reports Washington is pushing back.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE4: The U.S. is unquestionably the leader in advanced technology - think artificial intelligence, robotics, sophisticated weaponry. It's what's helped give the country a national security edge. That's something China has recognized and wants in on, says James Lewis, a specialist in China and technology at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

JAMES LEWIS: The Chinese figured out that technology is the key to wealth and power. And the source of technology is still the West for China. So how do they get their hands on that Western technology?

NORTHAM: Three years ago, Beijing unveiled its Made in China 2025 strategy, which calls for the country to become a world leader in advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, AI. As part of that, China is forming global partnerships5, pumping massive resources into tech firms at home, in Europe and here in the U.S.

MICHAEL BROWN: I'd say they're very systematic6, very long term in their approach. And it's very well-funded.

NORTHAM: Michael Brown is with the Pentagon's Defense7 Innovation Unit in Silicon8 Valley. He says there's serious concern in Washington that China is acquiring too much sensitive U.S. technology and transferring it back home.

BROWN: They don't play by the same rules that we do. So cybertheft is on the table. Industrial espionage9 is on the table - which could include recruiting key talent at networking events that are sponsored by the Chinese government, working with U.S. universities.

NORTHAM: Just last week, Bloomberg reported the U.S. was investigating whether China allegedly infiltrated10 the Pentagon and major companies, such as Apple and Amazon, by building spy chips into server motherboards. The motherboards were manufactured in China. The companies deny the allegations. But there are other ways China is making inroads to capture American innovation.

There's a quiet leafy part of Silicon Valley called Sunnyvale, and a lot of the tech giants have a presence here. There's Amazon Labs, LinkedIn, Yahoo. And I'm coming up now to a Google complex. And I can actually see some of the workers sitting at picnic tables and enjoying the fine weather. Just behind the Google complex is a Chinese company called Baidu. And it's Google's rival.

Baidu is China's largest Internet search provider. It opened this innovation center here in Silicon Valley with a focus on self-driving vehicles. And other Chinese tech powerhouses - Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei - also have their own research and development centers here. Instead of buying an existing U.S. business, the Chinese tech giants come in and build a new company from the ground up. These moves are called green field investments. And they hire away a lot of U.S. workers, says the CSIS' Lewis.

LEWIS: People change jobs frequently in the tech industry. And you say, I'll pay you a little bit more than the market rate. You'll get a lot of talent. This is a way to acquire knowhow.

NORTHAM: There's also been a surge of investments in tech startups through Chinese venture capital. Adam Lysenko, a senior analyst11 at Rhodium Group, an economic research firm, says there were more than 1,300 rounds of funding for U.S. startups with at least one Chinese investor12 over the past eight years.

ADAM LYSENKO: It is very common for Chinese firms to have some sort of ties to the government. It might just be because they have to answer to the government and party leaders back at home. And that infers the state some level of control.

NORTHAM: Lysenko says this has become a concern in national security circles because the nature of emerging technology is inherently dual13 use. In other words, the AI algorithms used to help speed up your smartphones could also be applied14 to weapons on the battlefield. Lysenko says while he's not aware of any smoking-gun case where a Chinese venture capital has plundered15 sensitive technology from a startup, it's widely acknowledged that a risk exists.

LYSENKO: That venture capital and other minority investments provide Chinese investors16 to access potentially sensitive technologies, particularly ones that are in, in a sense, an early stage where U.S. governments haven't had a full chance to evaluate the implications of those technologies.

NORTHAM: But for many American tech startups, Chinese investment can be critical.

CHRIS NICHOLSON: I think we got lucky. We got a beautiful office, right? It used to be an architectural consulting firm.

NORTHAM: Chris Nicholson is the CEO of Skymind, which makes cutting-edge artificial intelligence software. Daylight pours through the large windows overlooking San Francisco's Mission Street.

NICHOLSON: Mission between 9th and 10th is a little rough, which is not great when you're trying to impress clients.

NORTHAM: Nicholson helped create Skymind about four years ago. He says the company, like many startups, was very fragile in the beginning, until it got its first investment of $200,000 from Chinese consumer tech giant Tencent.

NICHOLSON: And nobody else followed. But it allowed us to survive. And that's just - like, the whole trip of startups is just surviving. Buy yourself enough time until you can realize your idea and test it on the market.

NORTHAM: Skymind now has funding from some major American venture capitalists and a few smaller Chinese ones. Nicholson disputes that venture capital investors automatically gain access to startups' research or knowhow. Later-stage investors putting in much larger amounts typically ask for things like information rights and board seats. Nicholson says no investor has ever asked Skymind for confidential17 technical information.

NICHOLSON: Right now we have a board of two people. And it's me and my co-founder. And we're both Americans.

NORTHAM: For decades, funding for firms like Nicholson's was through the Defense Department. It helped create technological18 breakthroughs that led to things like semiconductors19 and miniaturized GPS. But that funding over the years has become slow and cumbersome20 while technology has been moving much faster in the private sector21. The Pentagon recognized the problem and, in 2015, set up the DIU, the Defense Innovation Unit.

(SOUNDBITE OF DRONE FLYING)

NORTHAM: A military engineer maneuvers22 a tiny drone as it buzzes above a tarmac at the DIU in Silicon Valley. Lt. Col. David Rothzeid says the Pentagon created the unit as a way to make it easier to get funding to startups.

DAVID ROTHZEID: We're trying to grow the defense industry base by enticing23 these companies that traditionally wouldn't work with us and don't honestly need to work with us but have a great capability24 that we would all benefit from.

NORTHAM: This alternate funding is one way Washington is trying to counter Chinese investment. The Trump25 administration has also been aggressive in blocking several large mergers26 and acquisitions of U.S. tech companies by Chinese firms. And Congress is beefing up laws on the books aimed at protecting U.S. technology from foreign governments. It will allow closer scrutiny27 of all sorts of Chinese inroads in the tech sector, says Mario Mancuso, a trade lawyer with Kirkland and Ellis.

MARIO MANCUSO: I think some deals where there are Chinese investors will be a lot harder. More deals will get a lot more scrutiny. And some deals just are not going to happen.

NORTHAM: Many U.S. tech companies push back against tougher laws on foreign investment, warning it could strangle innovation. Skymind's Nicholson again.

NICHOLSON: In Washington, D.C., people think innovation is an American monopoly. They think that people can't go anywhere else for innovation. That's not true. Tech is moving fast in a lot of different countries. So if we shut the door here, that capital is just going to flow through another door. And it's going to be outside of U.S. jurisdiction28.

NORTHAM: And that's the conundrum29 for policymakers. How does the U.S. balance its national security concerns with its drive to be the leader in advanced technology? Jackie Northam, NPR News, Silicon Valley.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 rift bCEzt     
n.裂口,隙缝,切口;v.裂开,割开,渗入
参考例句:
  • He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
  • The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。
2 brewing eaabd83324a59add9a6769131bdf81b5     
n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然,一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
  • She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。
3 installment 96TxL     
n.(instalment)分期付款;(连载的)一期
参考例句:
  • I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
  • He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。
4 byline sSXyQ     
n.署名;v.署名
参考例句:
  • His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
  • We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。
5 partnerships ce2e6aff420d72bbf56e8077be344bc9     
n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 );合伙人身份;合作关系
参考例句:
  • Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
  • It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句
6 systematic SqMwo     
adj.有系统的,有计划的,有方法的
参考例句:
  • The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
  • The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。
7 defense AxbxB     
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
参考例句:
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
8 silicon dykwJ     
n.硅(旧名矽)
参考例句:
  • This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
  • A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。
9 espionage uiqzd     
n.间谍行为,谍报活动
参考例句:
  • The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
  • Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。
10 infiltrated ac8114e28673476511d54b771cab25a1     
adj.[医]浸润的v.(使)渗透,(指思想)渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
  • Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
11 analyst gw7zn     
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家
参考例句:
  • What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务?
  • The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
12 investor aq4zNm     
n.投资者,投资人
参考例句:
  • My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
  • The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。
13 dual QrAxe     
adj.双的;二重的,二元的
参考例句:
  • The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
  • He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。
14 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
15 plundered 02a25bdd3ac6ea3804fb41777f366245     
掠夺,抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Many of our cultural treasures have been plundered by imperialists. 我国许多珍贵文物被帝国主义掠走了。
  • The imperialists plundered many valuable works of art. 帝国主义列强掠夺了许多珍贵的艺术品。
16 investors dffc64354445b947454450e472276b99     
n.投资者,出资者( investor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
  • a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会
17 confidential MOKzA     
adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的
参考例句:
  • He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
  • We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
18 technological gqiwY     
adj.技术的;工艺的
参考例句:
  • A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
  • Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今, 随着科技进步,生活节奏不断增快。
19 semiconductors 0e1983fea761e849266037e7a40cb125     
n.半导体( semiconductor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Crystals may be insulators, semiconductors, or conductors. 晶体可以是绝缘体,半导体,或导体。 来自辞典例句
  • Semiconductors containing such impurities are called p-type semiconductors. 含有这类杂质的半导体叫做P型半导体。 来自辞典例句
20 cumbersome Mnizj     
adj.笨重的,不便携带的
参考例句:
  • Although the machine looks cumbersome,it is actually easy to use.尽管这台机器看上去很笨重,操作起来却很容易。
  • The furniture is too cumbersome to move.家具太笨,搬起来很不方便。
21 sector yjczYn     
n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形
参考例句:
  • The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
  • The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。
22 maneuvers 4f463314799d35346cd7e8662b520abf     
n.策略,谋略,花招( maneuver的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到,她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
  • Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句
23 enticing ctkzkh     
adj.迷人的;诱人的
参考例句:
  • The offer was too enticing to refuse. 这提议太有诱惑力,使人难以拒绝。
  • Her neck was short but rounded and her arms plump and enticing. 她的脖子短,但浑圆可爱;两臂丰腴,也很动人。
24 capability JsGzZ     
n.能力;才能;(pl)可发展的能力或特性等
参考例句:
  • She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
  • Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。
25 trump LU1zK     
n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭
参考例句:
  • He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
  • The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手,作为他的王牌。
26 mergers b4ab62fffa9919cbf1e93fcad6d3150c     
n.(两个公司的)合并( merger的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Mergers fall into three categories: horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate. 合并分为以下三种:横向合并,纵向合并和混合合并。 来自辞典例句
  • Many recent mergers are concentrated within specific industries, particularly in retailing, airlines and communications. 现代许多合并企业集中进行某些特定业务,在零售业、民航和通讯业中更是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
27 scrutiny ZDgz6     
n.详细检查,仔细观察
参考例句:
  • His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好,但是经不起仔细检查。
  • Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。
28 jurisdiction La8zP     
n.司法权,审判权,管辖权,控制权
参考例句:
  • It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
  • Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。
29 conundrum gpxzZ     
n.谜语;难题
参考例句:
  • Let me give you some history about a conundrum.让我给你们一些关于谜题的历史。
  • Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。

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