Chinese Get Much U.S. Technology Spy Free - Wall Street Journal

Oct. 18, 2019 5:34 pm ET

Illustration: Chad Crowe

Regarding William J. Holstein’s “China’s Techno-Kleptomania” (op-ed, Oct. 15): Much is being made of China’s theft of America’s technology. Nothing is being mentioned about the fact that American industry is giving this technology away free of charge. My experience as a midlevel manager at a semiconductor firm with subcontractors in Asia and Europe allowed me to witness firsthand how this happens.

Manufacturing sophisticated technical products for American companies overseas requires that detailed process specifications get transferred to the new overseas manufacturing site. These specifications are then translated into the host countries’ language. Managers, engineers and assembly people are then trained to these processes by Americans. Process equipment of a highly technical, and often state-of-the-art, level is transferred to the host country along with detailed instructions on how it functions. Once satisfied that the required skill levels have been attained, much operational control is transferred to local employees.

It doesn’t take much imagination to determine what happens next. Newly trained high-level technical and management talent possessing pilfered documentation and backed by a financial angel, perhaps the government, are free to leave and assemble their own startup company. No need for R&D. The processing equipment that is also state-of the-art is available to reverse engineer—all compliments of the good old U.S.A.

Richard Martin

Mission Viejo, Calif.

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