Geopolitics
Strategic Technology Appropriation
When an irreversible technology gap exists between nations, the lagging party rationally shifts from independent R&D to systematically acquiring the leading party's intellectual property, source code, and model weights—viewed not as criminality but as a rational survival strategy. When the cost (risk × diplomatic penalty) falls below the time and resources required for indigenous development, appropriation becomes the economically optimal choice.
Read the daily articles behind this idea on the Chinese edition.