Here’s my column about the recent tech policy summit. There were many interesting things that came up, especially about China:
An interesting speech by Sybase CEO and President John Chen stimulated some ideas on how to advance a positive tech agenda in China. There are many issues tech companies have to deal with when doing business in China, and many American tech companies work there. So why is there no strong lobby group like a TechNet to help firms deal with various policy concerns?
Chen answered that some people are trying to build such a group, but even so, it may not help change China’s public policy. In China, Chen said that it is the academic community that holds the most power over influencing official government policies.
While Chen did not articulate the next logical step, it is obvious: Try to change the views within academia. In the United States and in other countries like Canada, that has been an effective way to change things over the long term. Perhaps it will also work to fight back against perceived violations of the rule of law and disregard for free speech in China.