The Economics Show: China wanted western tech. Now, the tables have turned.

The Economics Show: China wanted western tech. Now, the tables have turned.

August 6, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the shift in technology dynamics between China and the West, exploring whether the US and EU should adopt similar strategies to enhance their own tech industries.

Today, we're bringing you an episode from another podcast in the FT stable: The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes For decades, China accelerated its industrial development through a straightforward bargain: foreign firms invested in China, often through joint ventures, gaining access to the enormous Chinese market, while Chinese companies absorbed western tech and knowhow. Today, that dynamic is changing. China's high-tech industries are now world-leading, and western governments are looking on enviously. So should the US and EU now take a page from China's playbook? Host Soumaya Keynes speaks to John Minnich, assistant professor of international relations at LSE, about the history of Chinese tech transfer, how it drove industrial sophistication and whether the west could — or should — attempt something similar. Listen to more from The Economics Show: podfollow.com/economics-show Further Reading How China pulled off a great tech reversal EU to include UK and Japan in ‘Made in Europe’ plans John Minnich: Divide and Conquer: Industry Market Structure, Inter-Firm Rivalry, and Bargaining over Technology Presented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Original music and…

People in this episode

Host: Soumaya Keynes

Guest: John Minnich

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Organizations: LSE, Financial Times, EU, UK, Japan

Books & works: The Economics Show

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