Chinese Copies

The Chinese are shameless at copying Western products. Some of the copies are comical and some sinister, with their pilfering through the Internet highly-classified technical documents. (which I have wondered why we put some of the most sensitive documents on the Internet, but what do I know?).

Apparently with at least one weapon, they somehow got the ingredients wrong, although the Jordanians aren’t saying much.

At least one buyer of China’s copy of the famous Predator is none too happy. Jordan is selling off its fleet of CH-4B “Rainbow” drones after owning them for just two years. The Middle Eastern kingdom was reportedly not happy with the drones’ performance and is seeking to unload them at auction…

…But there’s one problem: CASTC has an inferior drone problem. According to FlightGlobal, Jordan has complained about its drone fleet since 2018. The Royal Jordanian Air Force declined to go into specifics as to why the CH-4B is let down, but simply said it was downsizing and removing several types of aircraft from its fleet. According to Shepard Media, as late as November 2018, Jordan admitted it was “not happy with the aircraft’s performance and was looking to retire them.”

If you’re interested in a Chinese drone fleet of your own, bidding for the CH-4Bs ends on July 1st.

I have been ambivalent on China Trade. I can remember the proponents of opening up trade saying that with economic freedom, the Communist government would have to liberalize and change. So many promises were made and broken.

Growing up during the Cold War, I also remember a China that was internationally isolated and dangerous. I have mentioned from time to time my fascination with history and how sometimes the small things can have huge consequences.

I remember reading years ago that in 1954, John Foster Dulles, President Eisenhower’s Secretary of State,  refused to shake the hand of Premier Chou En Lai at a meeting in Geneva. John Dulles, and his brother Allen, head of the CIA, were hard corps cold warriors.

In Asian culture saving face is important. Chou En Lai was considered a moderating influence to Mao Zedong.

One has to wonder but for that snub if anything would have been different.

But, as for today and the trade issue, as a wise sage once said, “Hope is not a strategy“.

As to how this will play out, the end has yet to be written.

As far as the technology transfer, I believe that we are starting to wake up.