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@dennisw5 (post published 2026-08-04) rejects surface-level travel takes that 'I…

2026-08-04 · 11:50 UTC ·@dennisw5 ·0 min read

Brief

DennisW (@dennisw5) criticizes superficial reporting that visits Beijing briefly and proclaims China the victor, demanding measurable evidence. He quotes Evan Osnos’s New Yorker thread claiming the tech contest hinges not on speed alone, that China’s power centers on Xi while U.S. power centers on Trump and Silicon Valley, and that resisting ideology and corruption while enabling personal agency will decide the winner.

Why it matters

@dennisw5 (post published 2026-08-04) rejects surface-level travel takes that 'I went to Beijing for a few days' and declares China the winner, asking pointedly: 'What is quantified and tested here?'

Key details

  • Cites Evan Osnos (New Yorker thread, linked to 'The Future, Made in China'): Osnos says the U.S.–China tech contest isn't only about speed, that China’s power is concentrated in Xi and his cohort while the U.S. has power in Trump and Silicon Valley allies, and that the edge will go to the country that resists ideology and corruption and gives people agency.
Source evidence

This is yet another example of "I went to Beijing for a few days" and I declare China the winner. What is quantified and tested here?

Evan Osnos (@eosnos)

5/5 The contest is not simply over speed. China has too much power in Xi and cohort; America has too much in Trump & Silicon Valley allies. The edge will go to the country that resists ideology and corruption—and gives people agency in their future. Read: newyorker.com/magazine/2026/…

Link

The Future, Made in China

Beijing is competing with the U.S. for tech supremacy. Who wins will have huge political implications.
newyorker.com

— https://nitter.net/eosnos/status/2084272829877342633#m