Conversely, China’s Communist Party engineered a remarkable policy shift that has lifted millions out of poverty and transformed the country into a global economic force, all while cracking down on dissent. In retrospect, as challenging as they may have seemed at the time, the easy years are over. “Now today they don’t know.”Through much of China’s high-growth era, the United States and other developed countries were willing to help with technology and investment. Even before the trade war, economic growth was bound to slow as the country reached middle-income levels. They have built a sophisticated surveillance and intelligence network that, if needed, gives them considerable control over society and the internet.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 30, 2019 23:15 UTC