Reality is the anglo-europeans(atlantic coastal folks) wants to split the world in half at least in cyber space. Pompeo talked about it openly with the Clean network initiative. That means no Chinese tech or hardware in the west. They will pull the whole of the EU with them either peaceful and if that doesn't work forcefully.
But the clean network initiative isn't only about China, its also about Iran and Russian. I expect a big boom in Iran tech, the following next two decade now that China has given them a get out of jail card from the western financial siege war.
Its not like western companies don't have access at all, Facebook for example still earns quiet some money from China selling ads, Google was planning on making a Chinese specific search engine called Project Dragonfly. Would google really allocate all those resources for a market they can't access?
If the Chinese networks / markets were so easy to penetrate as you are suggesting, why would Google have to spend so much time developing a separate search engine for them to be approved by the CCP? Why wouldn’t they just use the search engines that are already out there? It’s pretty obvious as to why.
Like the saying goes, When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do. So when in China, follow the Chinese regulations. The Chinese should do the same when they want to invest here in the EU.
We can do better as a civilization and learn from past mistakes. The fact China downplays and denies theirs while trying to gaslight the world should be reason enough to never do business with them until this changes and they can be transparent and honest.
Unsurprisingly comments like yours come to their defense anytime a news story like this comes along. It's tiring, frankly.
Ultimately it works like this - all rising powers have the choice to stay fully shackled by IP and remain subordinate and poor forever, or they can take that IP and provide a better life for their people. Unless there is some alternative there, I just can't fault a country for doing it. Especially when the current top dog is only there because they did it too.
The concept of IP is already morally questionable to begin with, now we want to use it to keep half of the world poorer and dependent in perpetuity?
I'm not well versed in game theory, but if tit-for-tat is a winning strategy, it's unreasonable to continue to cooperate with a party that actively tries to screw everyone else over at every turn.
What I'm not sure about is why anyone is surprised. Especially in an age where everything is framed as a struggle for power, you would expect this to be the case, especially for an emerging superpower. Economics is here just war by other means, and consumerist lust for cheap goods the Trojan horse by which China will succeed.