Article text
An initiative so feared that China has stopped saying its name
The Economist
China | The Voldemort of economic plans
“Made in China 2025” has been a success, but at what cost?
LIKE LORD VOLDEMORT from Harry Potter, “Made in China 2025” is an initiative which induces so much fear and loathing abroad that Chinese officials dare not speak its name. The plan, introduced a decade ago, called for pouring money and resources into dozens of industries. The goal was to turn China into a green and innovative “manufacturing power”, one that relied less on labour and Western supply chains, and more on automation and new home-grown technologies. This was Xi Jinping’s vision for the Chinese economy.
[PAYWALL]
There’s no way they still use the “but at what cost?” not ironically. That has to be an internal joke by now.
China was mentioned in a meeting at my tech bro job the other day and some guy that I’m cordial with messaged me privately “BUT AT WHAT COST”. So I think oh this guy is dog whistling at me that he is actually a China enjoyer, so I test that out by being like “yeah it would be great to work with China” and he immediately launches into a serious tirade about how they’re fascists destroying the world.
So uh…no I think they actually do say this seriously. I couldn’t believe it